Will of Fire
by TheBranchesOfSin
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki was a 'dead last' shinobi with the dream of one day becoming Hokage. Determined to never back down, he will do whatever he can to protect the people closest to him. After discovering that he is the jinchūriki of the Kyūbi, he begins unraveling the secrets surrounding the village, his enemies, and even himself.
1. Hidden Truths

I just want to begin by thanking you for showing some interest in reading this story. I will make any edits to errors whenever I happen to spot any issues. But please feel free to point out anything I may have missed in a PM or review. Anyways, let's get on with the fanfic!

 **Disclaimer:** Naruto is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I have written this story for only entertainment purposes and nothing else.

* * *

" _Why am I here?"_

 _Naruto Uzumaki had lost count on how many times he asked himself that question. His heart was racing as he dashed through the dusty streets of Konohagakure in the late hours of the night. The yellow and orange flames that engulfed the entire village lashed at the spiky haired blonde with great intensity. He desperately searched each road and alleyway for an exit. However, he always ended up at the center of the village no matter which direction he ran._

" _There's gotta be an exit somewhere!"_

 _Frustrated, Naruto tried to run faster through the streets. Eventually, his running began to falter._

 _The thick, foggy smoke filled his lungs causing him to go into a coughing fit. He tore a small piece of his shirt to make a face mask. His coughing slowed down enough for him to catch his breath._

" _Someone please help me!" A woman's voiced weakly cried out._

 _Naruto stopped in front of a nearby two-story house that was about to collapse in on itself. "Can you hear me!?" He waited for a reply but no answer. After he made it inside, he quickly scanned all the rooms to find out that no one was trapped inside. "Where are you?!" Again, he heard no reply from the woman. The sounds of crackling wood alerted Naruto that he needed to leave immediately. Without a second thought, he jumped through the second story window. He managed to land safely on the ground, albeit a few minor cuts._

" _Help!"_

" _Can anyone hear me? I am trapped inside!"_

" _Somebody call for help before he bleeds out!"_

" _MOM! DAD! Where are you?!"_

" _We're not gonna make it!"_

" _Yondaime -sama! Please protect us!"_

 _The constant cries from the villagers rang nonstop through Naruto's ears. He searched thoroughly in the abandoned buildings for any survivors, but all of his efforts were to no avail. "Where is everyone?"_

 _Suddenly a few tremors surged underneath his feet._

 _At first Naruto doesn't move, his brain is unable to make sense of the input from his ears and feet. The noise is like extended thunder, but the vibrations are coming from beneath him. He got low to the earth and waited for the quakes to stop. He watched as the smaller cracks in the ground formed together to create an extensive chasm in front of him. A massive ball of fur shot out of the ground and soared high into the clear night sky._

" _What the hell was that?" Naruto looked up to see what obscured the moon's light. What he saw made his body writhe in fear. His breathing became erratic, deep, then shallow. He felt his stomach contort causing him to feel sick."I-It's …. the...the.. Kyūbi No Yoko!" His mind told him to move out of the way, but his body was frozen in place. He could only watch as the beast dropped back down to the village._

 _The Kyūbi struck the ground producing an immense shock wave of air to move out in all directions. Numerous buildings were picked up and pushed towards the outer wall of the village. Naruto was blown back into a tree. He managed to get a solid grip on one of the branches. As his legs dangled in the air, he attempted to pull himself closer to the tree trunk. However, he lost his grip on the tree branch, and was shoved back with the flying debris._

 _In an instant, the entire village was silent. The yellow and orange flames that once consumed the village were extinguished. All that remained were foundations where former residences and business used to stand. The famous Hokage Monument in the distance had been heavily battered. The outer wall that once stood tall and proud protecting the village was left broken and vulnerable._

 _Naruto woke up feeling something sharp piercing the right side of his body."Shit!" He glimpsed at his right side to see his shirt absorbing the streaming blood. He winced in pain as he used his right hand to cover wound. He tried to stand up but his left arm was trapped underneath a beam. He moved his arm left and right in hopes of freeing himself._

 _Once he heard the Kyūbi's footsteps growing louder, Naruto tried to pull his left arm harder. Suddenly, the debris overhead was pushed aside to reveal the Kyūbi's eyes. The iris was a deep red with a black pupil in the shape of a three-sided whirlwind shuriken. The blonde seemed hypnotized by the demon's gaze. As the fox raised its fist high into the air, Naruto stopped trying to free himself. He watched as the Kyūbi's fist came hammering down towards him_.

"No!" Naruto popped up from dirt in a sweat. He feverishly looked around to ensure that he was back at the training ground. While trying to catch his breath, he could feel his body trembling. He couldn't explain the various emotions his body was exhibiting. It was anxiety, confusion, fear, and anger all wrapped into one. He quickly lifted up his shirt to see the seal on his stomach flashing red for a moment before disappearing. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he laid back down. _It was just a nightmare._

After watching a few clouds pass by, he slowly stood up. He noticed a target hanging off a tree in the distance. There were several kunai spread all over the base of the tree. _I must've taken a nap after my intense training._ He picked up a kunai and tossed it. His eyes widened with excitement as it headed towards the bullseye. Unfortunately, it whizzed by the tree into some nearby bushes.

"Hey!" An older man stepped out of the bushes holding the kunai. "This thing isn't a toy, kid!"

"Sorry!" Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I was in the middle of training."

"Training, on this day?" The man asked as he pointed behind the boy."Shouldn't you be at the festival with all the other kids?"

Naruto turned around to see the streets surrounding the Hokage Tower shining brightly. "Ahh! I forgot all about that!" He snatched up the remaining kunai and dashed towards his new destination. "Thanks old man!"

* * *

Tonight's festival was a place of unrestrained joy. Along the usually busy streets of Konoha shone hundreds of paper lanterns; illuminating the darkness with their flickering candles. Everywhere there were folks dressed in colorful kimonos with a mask or paint covering their face. To add to the celebration, children ran around in large groups chasing after the giant fox costume with sticks. Music filled the air with festive beats that made the people want to dance. The air tasted so heavenly with the chefs in food carts cooking every delicious thing imaginable.

"This is awesome!" Naruto shouted as he wandered through the crowd.

"I'm glad you finally decided to show yourself," Iruka said as he tapped the blonde's shoulder. "Are you trying to get away before your master plan unfolds?"

"Nah." Naruto replied. "I kind of forgot to plan something for this year. Maybe next time."

"Good, I would hate to see what you had planned."

"You gotta admit it was pretty funny, Sensei. I can't believe it took so long before anyone could catch me!"

"Funny huh?" Iruka punched the laughing Naruto on the head. "You hid paint in all the fireworks!It took the entire village two weeks to get it all up!"

"Ow!" Naruto slowly rubbed the top of his head. "That was about as hard as you hit me the first time."

"Well, I am glad to see you learned your lesson."

A few minutes later, Naruto and Iruka noticed Sasuke running in their direction. He stopped in front of the two, searching for somewhere to hide.

"Is there something wrong, Sasuke?" Iruka asked.

Without saying a word, the Uchiha grabbed a nearby hook and transformed into a red lantern.

"What the..." Naruto was interrupted by a sudden swarm of girls trampling over him.

"Iruka-sensei, did you see Sasuke-kun run this way?" A red-haired girl inquired

"Umm... Sasuke...Uchiha." Iruka stammered as he scratched his left cheek. " Why do you ask?"

"So he can watch the fireworks with me tonight!"Another girl responded causing the other girls to laugh at her.

"In your dreams. Sasuke-kun will never be seen with you!"

"I doubt he would go with you either! I am exactly his type."

"I am pretty sure Sasuke would like to go see the fireworks with all of you," Iruka said, hoping it would relieve the tension in the group.

"There is no way I will let Sasuke-kun go any girl except me!" All of the girls shouted in unison

"I know who to ask." Sakura pulled Naruto up from the ground by his shirt. "Naruto! Where is Sasuke-kun?"

"Sa...Sa...Sasuke?" Naruto sat on his knees dazed as Sakura jerked him back and forth.

"Move out of the way, Forehead!" Ino exclaimed as she started to shake him furiously. "We know at least you saw him run by here!"

 _This would be a great opportunity to get back at teme._ Naruto smiled for a second before pointing towards the Hokage Tower. "He went that way!"

"He must waiting for me!" Ino exclaimed as she released her grip on Naruto. "Here I come, Sasuke-kun!"

The entire group of girls darted in that direction, desperately trying to reach the Uchiha first.

Once the girls disappeared, Sasuke dropped down in front of them. "Hmph." He ran into the the crowd hoping that he had finally got away from his numerous fangirls.

"Can you believe that guy?" Naruto asked still sitting on the ground. "He couldn't even say..." His stomach growled and churned before he could finish his sentence.

"Come on Naruto." Iruka laughed as he offered a hand to the blonde. "Let's go eat."

Iruka and Naruto managed to squeeze through the crowd to the front of a closed Ramen Ichiraku.

"What gives?" Naruto asked as he crossed his arms. "They are never closed on this day! " He watched as Iruka walked into the dark restaurant without uttering a word. "Sensei?" He went in after him to find something unexpected. Teuchi and Iruka were standing on both sides of Ayame as she held out a small white cake with ten little burning candles.

"Happy Birthday Naruto!"

Naruto stood there stunned by their little act of kindness. He grinned, a little, then his smile pushed up his cheeks to reveal his teeth. He inhaled deeply, preparing to blow out the candles.

"Wait!" Ayame placed her hand over Naruto's mouth. "You gotta make a wish first."

 _I wish..._ Naruto closed his eyes for a few seconds then blew away the flames. "Thank you!"

Teuchi placed his arm around the blonde. "Now, let's get you two fed."

As soon Naruto and Iruka took a seat, Teuchi swiftly cooked up two big bowls of miso ramen with roasted pork fillet. Ayame carefully placed the two savory bowls in front of them.

"Itadakimasu," They said in unison.

 _This is exactly what I wished for._ Naruto was drooling at the sight of the delicious bowl of ramen.

Iruka laughed as he watched Naruto dive into his meal."It isn't going anywhere. Naruto."

"I haven't had anything all day." Naruto placed the empty bowl down onto the counter. "I spent the entire day training."

"Training on your birthday?" Ayame asked in surprise. "That is no fun."

" If I want to be the Hokage, then I have to train hard everyday." Naruto took one of the slices of cake. "Even if it's on my own birthday."

"You gotta pass the genin exam before you can do that," Iruka said with a big smile.

"Don't worry Iruka sensei. I will pass that exam this time with no problems!"

Everyone in the restaurant heard the crowd outside beginning to grow quiet. They all stepped out to see the Sandaime Hokage standing atop the tower with several clan leaders and council members seated next to him. Behind the group stood a large vermillion pot with "fire" written on it.

"We are gathered here tonight to celebrate the defeat of the Kyūbi No Yoko. Ten years ago, the Yondaime Hokage gave his life away to seal the mighty beast into an vermillion pot similar to the one behind me. Unfortunately, he was not the only casualty that night. His beloved wife, newborn child, and countless Konoha shinobi also perished during the attack. They all chose to lay down their lives to defend this village and its people. They ensured that their Will of Fire continued to go on in the next generation. So, I ask that all of you celebrate this night in memory of those loved ones who couldn't be here with us!"

The audience erupted into applause. Their cheering and clapping could be heard throughout the entire village. The lanterns that once illuminated the streets were quickly blown out one by one. Everyone stood watching as the first few fireworks burst through the dark night into colorful blooms amongst the stars.

"There you are!"

Naruto turned around to see Kiba with Akamaru sitting in his jacket. "Hey, what's up?"

"We found good spot up front to watch the fireworks. I was looking for you earlier to show you where it was." Kiba started walking through the crowd. "Everyone else is already at there."

"Thanks again Iruka-sensei, Ayame-chan, and Teuchi-san!" Naruto waved goodbye and followed Kiba through the mass of people. Eventually, Naruto lost track of the boy in all of the excitement. _Crap, where did he go!?_ Naruto tried to push onward, but he was unable to get any closer. All he could do was look up from his position and watch the fireworks display.

"He-hello Naruto-kun."

Naruto's gaze was briefly met by a pair of pale, white eyes. "Hey Hinata." He noticed a little girl standing in front of her. "Who is this?"

"Th-this is my...my l-little sister, Hanabi."

"You're the one who did the paint last year!" Hanabi stared at the blue-eyed blonde for a moment before smiling. "I thought it was really funny."

"Yup! And it all went exactly as I expected."

"Otōsan said he was gonna kill you whenever he found you."

Naruto felt chills run down his spine at Hanabi's comment. He shuddered at the thought of what the head of the Hyūga clan might do to him. "He's not here, is he?"

"No," Hanabi answered.

A sigh of relief escaped Naruto's lips. "Anyways, Hinata have you see Kiba by any chance?"

"Um...Kiba-kun j-just ran by a s-second ago." Hinata replied. "He went t-that way."

Naruto looked in the direction she pointed towards. He knew that it was impossible to make it through the crowd. "It's okay. At least I can the fireworks with you," he said with the biggest grin on his face.

Hinata felt her heart racing and palms getting sweaty. _Naruto-kun is watching the fireworks with me!_ Her pale skin turned red hot.

Soon, dozens of fireworks started to fill the night sky with color.

"Wow! Did you..." Naruto paused once he saw Hinata's face."Are you okay?"

Hinata nodded quickly to his question. _Please don't stare at me Naruto-kun._ She tried to hide her blush behind her hand.

"You sure?" Naruto was about to pull back her hand. "You don't have a fever do you?"

"She will be fine," Hanabi interjected as she tried to cover her laughter. _This is the Naruto I've heard neechan talk so much about._

As Naruto stood there watching the fireworks, he could feel something deep within him boiling with hatred. He had experienced the same feeling in his dream. He could hear this deep voice talking to him.

 _ **Soon, all of you will feel my hate, and suffer as I have suffered!**_

* * *

 _Otōsan – Father_

 _Neechan – Elder sister_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Chapter one is done! I will continue to write but this story is dependent on your reviews, comments, questions, and feedback. Let me know what did you think about the story and characters. If there are any questions, I will try to address them at the beginning of the next chapter. Thanks for reading! Stay Tuned!


	2. Legendary Opportunity

Hello once again! I just wanna say thanks for showing some interest in reading the next chapter of this story. I will make any edits to errors whenever I happen to spot any issues. But please feel free to point out anything I may have missed in a PM or review I am sure this chapter has plenty of mistakes. Let's get it on!

 **Disclaimer:** Naruto is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I have written this story for entertainment purposes and nothing else.

* * *

Naruto groaned as the warm beams of sunlight filtered through his eyelids. He opened his eyes and, with a big yawn, sat up slowly in his bed. He looked at the corner of his room to see faint rays of sunshine piercing through the curtains onto the shiny wooden floor. _That is the best sleep I've had in a long time._ After rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he dragged himself out of the unkempt bed.

He walked over to the kitchen table situated in the middle of his apartment. The table top was littered with used glass bowls, plates, and silverware. There were dirty clothes in the corner, unrolled scrolls that went from wall to wall, and ninja tools spread all across the floor. Naruto was never fazed by the current state of his room. As much as Iruka suggested cleaning the apartment, he never bothered to make it neat and organized. In his mind, the neat apartment gave him an empty and cold feeling that always reminded him that he was all alone.

He opened his refrigerator to see that it was completely empty from top to bottom. A low growl came from his stomach. _I really should go shopping at some point._ He closed the refrigerator doors and began rummaging through his empty cabinets. _I guess this will have to do._ He picked up the last container of instant ramen that was stowed away in his emergency food crate. _Maybe we will get a chance to spar today._ He stretched his arms and legs as he waited impatiently for his noodles to finish cooking in the microwave. _I gotta be ready to show everyone my skill._ He pushed a few bowls aside on the table to give himself some space to eat.

Before he took his first bite of the savory noodles, he heard a soft ringing noise coming from underneath his bed. _What is that?_ In between the small rolled up futon underneath his bed was an alarm clock that constantly clanged on its tiny bell. As he hit the snooze button, he noticed that it read nine o'clock. _I'm already an hour late! I keep forgetting to adjust the alarm on this stupid thing!_ He dashed for his closet with pajamas flying all over the room as he rushed to get dressed. _Sensei is gonna kill me if I don't show up._ With backpack in tow, he quickly ran out of the apartment, leaving his hot breakfast on the kitchen table.

* * *

On his way to the Academy, Naruto stumbled upon a huge crowd gathering in the middle of the street. _What's going on?_ Curious, he headed towards the crowd to see what the commotion was about. He looked around to see people poking their heads out of windows, doors, and even around street corners. _It's gotta be something major to get a crowd this big._ In an instant, the empty road behind him was blocked off by another horde of people standing behind him. _Where did all these people come from?_ He saw no reason to go back the same way he came, so he decided to head towards the source of everyone's attention.

"Is this guy for real?"

"This is going to be epic!"

"To witness a legend in a spar is a one of a kind opportunity."

"They say that whoever manages to hit him can become his pupil."

"Really? I bet it would be awesome to have him as a teacher."

"I bet this chump won't even last a second."

"They say he hasn't been to Konoha in almost a decade."

"I wonder what brings him back here?"

Once Naruto made it to the front, he raised an eyebrow at the scene before him. _Who are these weirdos?_

The man on the right was tall with a wart on the left side of his nose and waist-length, spiky white hair tied in a ponytail. He wore a green shirt kimono with matching pants held tight to his waist by a black belt. He also wore hand guards, wooden sandals, and a red haori that had two yellow circles on each side. A group of women in ornate lavender kimonos stood behind him.

"Please show us something cool, Jiraiya-kun," giggled one of the girls. "There is a very nice reward from us if you do."

The Sannin grew a smile wider than the two red lines under his eyes. "I'll show you girls anything you want!" His eyes were full of determination as he held an open palm to his opponent. He held his other hand open to the group of girls as he bounced on one foot. He hopped to the left three times. "Prepare yourself for..." Suddenly, he planted both feet on the ground while exaggeratedly rolling his head. "Jiraiya, The Legendary Toad Sage!"

The crowd erupted into cheer and praise at the Sannin's extravagant introduction.

 _Jiraiya?_ Naruto thought, gazing at the colorful man before him. _Where have I heard that name before? Maybe Iruka-sensei mentioned something about this guy, but I don't remember why this guy is so famous._

The man on the left was muscular with short brown hair and thick dark glasses. He wore an opened black vest with a red shirt underneath, tight black pants, and a dark brown belt which kept a silver katana strapped to his side. A small group of Konoha jōnin stood behind him.

"Is this necessary Roka," asked one of the jōnin.

"He said if I can strike him once, then I can become his student. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity I'm not going to waste."

"He is way out of your league. He'll beat before you know it."

"There is no way for me to know unless I try," exclaimed Roka as he drew his blade from its sheath. "Hien!" As he gripped the hilt with two hands, a blue cloak of chakra covered the blade. Roka rushed towards the Sannin with intent on ending the spar quickly.

 _What is this old guy doing?_ Naruto thought as he stared at the motionless Jiraiya. _He is gonna get himself killed if he just stands there!_

Roka jumped towards Jiraiya, raising his katana high into the air. "I got you!"

 _Is this all shinobi know how to do nowadays?_ Jiraiya thought as a small smile formed in the corner of his mouth. He watched as the blade came inches away from his face.

In an instant, the two men were enveloped in a cloud of dust.

"Did anybody see what happened?"

"That was an incredible power!"

"Did he manage to hit Jiraiya-sama?"

"I couldn't tell he swung his blade so fast."

The talking stopped once the dust surrounding the two men was suddenly blown away. Everyone saw that Roka's blade was sunk deep into the ground. Jiraiya was standing atop the blade with his left hand extended out beside him. In a few seconds, the Sannin was holding a tiny blue sphere of wind in his palm.

 _Woah!_ Naruto eyes widen with excitement at the incredible sight before him. _What is that technique?_

 _How did he dodge my attack?_ thought Roka, trying to free his katana from the ground. _I was for sure I had him._

"Rasengan!" Jiraiya stuck the jōnin in the stomach with the sphere.

Roka tried to tense his muscles to keep himself from being knocked over by the orb. The sphere ripped through his shirt and armor with ease, leaving only his stomach exposed to the attack. He dug his heels deep into the ground, hoping to stop his sliding. Unfortunately, the attack was still able to push him back inch by inch. His grip on the hilt gradually weakened as he began rotating above the ground.

"LOOK OUT!"

Everyone that was standing behind him formed a straight path to allow Roka to go twirling backwards. The spiraling sphere in his stomach eventually burst causing him to go back even farther. Everyone watched as the jōnin went tumbling across the dirt road. Eventually he managed to stop rolling about fifteen feet away from his original position.

"I will admit that you could've easily taken me out if I was just an ordinary ninja." Jiraiya started walking towards Roka with the katana in hand. "Try not to leave yourself open to an attack like that next time." He extended the blade out to the defeated jōnin. "It may end up costing you your life."

"Yes." Roka took the sword and bowed to the Sannin. "Thank you, Jiraiya-sama."

Everyone cheered and clapped at the two men. All of the girls huddled around Jiraiya.

"That was amazing," cheered one of the girls as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "You truly are a legend."

"What was that move you used on him," inquired another girl, squeezing his forearm."I have never seen it before."

"It's just something someone taught me a long time ago." Jiraiya answered as the girls dragged him back into the nearby bar. "Anyways, how about that reward?"

The small group of jōnin surrounded their defeated friend.

"I told you it was pointless to try."

"Yeah, I know." Roka sheathed his katana as he walked away from the crowd. "Besides how many people can say that they got to spar with him."

"I wouldn't be quick to say it was a spar. It was more like a demonstration," joked one of the jōnin.

After Jiraiya and Roka disappeared, everyone that was standing in street resumed their normal activities. Everyone except a certain blue-eyed blonde.

Naruto stood in astonishment at what just occurred in front of him. _Woah! How did Jiraiya get out of the way in time? I mean the katana was just inches away from him._ He recalled the scratches on Roka's stomach after the match. _That attack was so powerful yet so small._

"Hey Naruto."

Naruto snapped out of his trance to see Ayame walking towards him with a basket full of vegetables. "Hey."

"It was really exciting to watch Jiraiya-sama in action. Don't you agree?"

Naruto simply nodded in agreement without uttering a word.

"Anyways, aren't you suppose to be in class right now?"

"Oh no, I forgot all about that!" Naruto dashed towards the Academy. "Bye, Ayame-chan!"

"Good luck, Naruto." Ayame waved as she watched the blonde rush to school.

* * *

Once inside the Academy, Naruto tiptoed through the empty hallways to avoid being detected. He would slowly poke his head around every corner before sprinting to the other side of the hall. As he got closer to his classroom, he heard two voices heading in his direction. Without giving it a second thought, Naruto leaped into the nearby trashcan.

"I think we should propose more sparring between students. What do you think?"

"That would definitely give them more opportunities to improve their taijutsu. I think we should definitely bring this up at the next meeting," concurred the other chūnin as he tossed a thick book into the trash can.

"Ouch," groaned Naruto.

As the two men halted their walking, they focused their attention on the trashcan.

"Did you hear that?"

"It came from the trashcan."

 _Shit!_ Naruto slapped his hands over his mouth. He placed the book back on his head in hopes of concealing himself with the rest of the garbage.

One of the men stepped in front of the trashcan causing a low screech to escape from the floor.

"It was just this old, creaky floor."

The two men resumed their conversation as they went down the hall.

 _That was close!_ Naruto thought as he poked his head out to be sure the two men left. Once out of the trashcan, he walked up to the door with a small sign labeled one hundred and one nailed above it. He peeked through the cracked door to see Iruka writing on the chalkboard.

"Ninjutsu is one of the three primary jutsu types. It typically involves someone utilizing their chakra in the form of hand seals to perform various techniques."

 _He's already started on the main lesson._ Naruto cracked the door some more in hopes of finding the closest empty seat. Taking a deep breath, the blonde entered the classroom slowly as Iruka turned his back to the class. As he tiptoed across the room, everyone's gaze shifted from the words on the board to him. _This is bad._

"I will need a volunteer to help me demonstrate a basic Ninjutsu technique." Iruka turned around to see everyone's eyes focused on the blonde walking up the steps. "Perfect! Naruto, could you come down to the front of the class so we can all see you."

 _Uh oh! This is really bad._ Naruto walked down to the front of the class with his heart pounding at his chest. His palms were sweaty as his breathing went from rapid to shallow. "I can perform whatever jutsu you throw at me, Sensei!"

"Could you demonstrate the Bunshin no Jutsu for the class?"

 _Great, the one jutsu I am terrible at._ Naruto made a few hand signs as smoke began enveloping him. "Bunshin no Jutsu."

"The similarities between the real and the clone depends on how well the user has trained with this technique. If the jutsu is performed correctly, then there will be two identical Naruto's in front of us. If not, then we will be able to easily identify the differences between the two. "

Once the clouds cleared, everyone saw a clone standing next to Naruto. It was a pale, frail version of the blonde that could barely stand on its own two feet. In a few seconds, the clone fell down to the ground, disappearing in a cloud of smoke before everyone's eyes. Naruto simply held his head down with a slight pink tint forming around his cheeks. _I knew this was gonna happen._

"Take a seat, Naruto." Iruka said as he shook his head in disappointment. "And try not to be late again, please."

"Better luck next time, dobe!" shouted one student from the back.

The entire class burst into laughter.

Naruto kept his head down in embarrassment as he made his way up the stairs. Everyone's laughter was growing in volume as he walked up the stairs. Once at the back of the room, he sat down with his forehead placed gently on the table. _I really messed up this time._

"It's alright Naruto," Shikamaru lifted his head from the table, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "You'll probably fail three more times, and then barely pass like you've always done."

"Thanks Shikamaru." Naruto murmured. "What would I do without your encouraging words?"

"Class, let's move on to our next topic!" Iruka quickly wiped the entire chalkboard clean. "Can anyone give me a brief definition on Genjutsu?"

Sakura raised her hand as she released her grip on Sasuke. "Genjutsu is an illusionary technique that is created to control a target's senses. The effects are not real but the target experiences false images of physical pain that almost feel real."

"That was excellent, Sakura," Iruka said as he across the stage. "There are several ways one can counteract Genjutsu. The most common method is pain caused by an outside source. A simple cut on the arm is a good example. This would break the connection between the user and target." Iruka pulled a stack of scrolls out of his desk. "Everyone take a scroll so we can review our basics about casting Genjutsu."

Bored, Naruto decided to look outside the window reflecting on what he saw in the street earlier. He noticed the wind outside was blowing the leaves on the ground in a circle. _Rasengan, huh?_ He opened his palm trying to imagine holding the tiny sphere of wind in his hand. _That would a pretty cool technique to know._

* * *

As the orange evening sun set across the sky, the streets started to settle as villagers began using the last hours of sunlight to spend time with family and friends. Shinobi were rushing towards restaurants, cafes, diners, and bars in groups to reflect on today's accomplishments. Academy students flew out of the building in groups, racing towards the playground with their friends.

 _I wonder what Jiji wants at this time of day. Probably another lesson about how attendance is important._ Naruto found himself in front of the large red double doors of the Hokage's office. He stepped into the room to be greeted by Sandaime and Jiraiya. As he stepped towards the two men, he glanced around the room. The office was painted beige, and it had five windows in the back, which gave a perfect view of the entire village. On the desk sat a clear glass bottle of ink, a thick brush, and several neat stacks of notebooks, papers, and scrolls. There were two tall bookshelves with more scrolls on either side of the room that were organized on each shelf by S, A,B,C,D, and E ranking.

 _It's been some time since I have seen him._ Jiraiya thought as he stared at the blue-eyed blonde walking towards him. _Hopefully I can make up the time I haven't been around for him._

"What's going on, Jiji?"

"Naruto, I want to introduce you to my former student." Hiruzen set his pipe down on the desk. "This is..."

"Jiraiya." Naruto interrupted. "I saw him fighting in the street this morning."

"Oh, that was against Roka, correct?" Sandaime inquired. "What did you happen to see in the fight?"

"It wasn't much of a fight. It looked like Roka had taken Jiraiya out with one swipe. But somehow Jiraiya got the upper hand and hit him with some kind of ball of wind."

Sandaime sighed as he looked at his former student. "Was the Rasengan really necessary?"

"It's okay. I didn't hit him with a full powered one." Jiraiya quickly answered his former teacher. "Besides, I couldn't leave those girls disappointed with a simple move."

"Good to see your habits haven't changed much over the years," said Sandaime as he shook his head in disappointment. "Anyways, Naruto I called you in here because I wanted Jiraiya to give you a training session before he left."

"Really?!" Naruto was so excited by the proposition." That's awesome Jiji!" Naruto focused his attention on the Sannin. "Can you teach me the Rasengan?"

Jiraiya hesitated for a moment before answering. "I don't think you are quite ready for that technique kid. You still need a lot more practice of the basics before we can get to that one." Jiraiya watched as the excitement in Naruto's face quickly disappeared. "However, if you manage to survive my training, then I can give you an up-close demonstration of the Rasengan." The Sannin extended out his hand to shake.

"I accept!" Naruto quickly grabbed his hand, shaking vigorously. "When do we start?"

"I was expecting you two to start now." Sandaime responded. "Jiraiya plans on staying in the village for three days."

"Do you think you can handle it kid? It will be an intense session since this it will be such a short period of time."

"Of course I can! This will be easy."

Good to see your full of energy." Jiraiya starts laughing. "I expect to see that during our training."

"Well then, let's go!" Naruto took Jiraiya's hand and rushed out of the office. "I can't wait to show you all my cool techniques."

A smile crept on Sandiame's face as they left the Hokage Tower in a hurry. _I imagine this will be a great learning experience for both of them._ He sat down in his chair and opened one of his drawers to pull out a small orange book. _Where was I again?_

* * *

Naruto and Jiraiya arrived at the training ground. It was large glade with a few patches of dirt spread throughout the ground. The place was surrounded by trees, except for the deep river flowing on its border. In the middle there was three heavily beaten stumps placed in the ground. The three thick posts had scratches and cuts on the outside to indicate an additional use of target practice.

"Man, I haven't been to this place in years," Jiraiya said as he leaned the large scroll from his back onto the scroll. _It seems like forever ago._ He ran his hand across the top of the stump. _I remember Orochimaru and Tsunade holding the bells while I was tied to the stump._ Jiraiya watched as Naruto spun around in the glade with the biggest smile on his face. _That's when everything was so simple._

"Wow! This training ground is huge."

"I want to get an idea of your current fighting level. So I want you to be able to hit me once in the face. You can use whatever tools that is at your disposal."

"I will have this test done in no time, Sensei." Naruto set his backpack down on one of the stumps. He unzipped his bag to take out several weapons. There were a plethora of different types of shurikens and kunai spread all about. _No,no,no he might be able to use that against me._

After a couple of minutes, Jiraiya was beginning to grow impatient. "Any day now would be fine."

 _Hmm, this one might work if I can actually get it close enough._ Naruto held the kunai with a flash bomb tag attached to the end. "Okay, I am finally ready!"

"Show me what you got."

Naruto charged across the dirt starting off his attack with a leaping punch. Jiraiya cocked his head to left, allowing the blonde's fist to brush past him as he pushed Naruto back in the stomach with an open palm, sending the boy sliding back. Quickly, the blonde recovered back onto his feet and came at the man with a kick towards the abdomen which collided with Jiraiya's side.

 _This guy must be made of iron._ Naruto thought as he felt his kick come to a complete stop. "I gotcha ya!"

The Sannin had quickly noted that Naruto winced in pain after the impact."I think it's actually the other way around kid."

Jiraiya curled his arm around the boy's leg, locking it to his side as he began spinning rapidly in a circle. Once he realized Naruto became dizzy, the Sannin released his grip, sending the blonde flying back through the dirt once again. The boy managed to roll into a ball and land back into his feet but not without stumbling backward onto the ground.

"Is that all?"

"Not even close!" Naruto pulled out a kunai as he once again dashed towards Jiraiya, who avoided the blonde's sloppy, uncoordinated swipes. The Sannin took advantage of one of Naruto's thrust by side-stepping the attack and then sending an knee to the boy's hand. The kunai flew out of the blonde's hand and high into the sky. The boy leaped towards the Sannin's head sending a kick at the forehead protector. Jiraiya grabbed the blonde by the wrist and chucked him into the air allowing the boy to go flying into the sky.

The Toad Sage watched as the blonde went twirling towards the falling kunai. _This isn't gonna end well._

Naruto luckily grabbed the falling kunai and tossed it towards Jiraiya. Instinctively, the Sannin caught the kunai, hearing a fizzing sound coming from the end of the ring. The kunai exploded into a large cloud of smoke that enveloped the surrounding area. Jiraiya stood in the center waiting for Naruto to make his next move. He listened carefully as the boy circled him, tossing an occasional shuriken that would either go flying past or fall short.

 _I wonder how much has he planned beforehand?_ Jiraiya heard the rustling go quiet. _Or does he make it up as he goes?_

He noticed a clearing in the smoke which was Naruto's right hook coming from behind. "That was a good one, but a little too simple for me," Jiraiya said as he caught the blonde's fist with left his hand. The Sannin cocked his head back and delivered a nasty headbutt to the boy's forehead.

"Ow!" shouted Naruto as he rolled around in the dirt.

After a couple of minutes, the Toad Sage noticed Naruto wasn't moving anymore. _Maybe I hit him harder than I thought._ Concerned, Jiraiya walked over to the motionless blonde.

 _I might be able to make this work._ Naruto quickly threw a kunai at Jiraiya who effortlessly avoided the weapon. The blonde jumped up from the dirt and throwing more and more shuriken as he ran around the Sannin, who dodged all the incoming shurikens that managed to make it close to him. Naruto quickly jumped behind one of the stumps to hide.

The flash of light as the small explosive lit off was terrible in itself, no meager single flash but a series of flashes that crossed the colors of the rainbow twice over at an intensity strong enough to be blinding through eyelids.

 _That was a smart move._ Jiraiya thought as he shielded his face. The light disappeared revealing an aerial Naruto ready to deliver a punch. He tried to quickly respond by sending his fist towards the boy.

Naruto's punch was too fast and connected to Jiraiya's jawbone for just a few seconds. _I did it!_

Jiraiya noticed the smile growing wider on Naruto's face before he had punched boy in the nose.

The blonde's entire body went crashing down into the dirt.

 _I can't believe that he really did it._ Jiraiya thought as he rubbed the small red mark on his cheek. He smiled realizing that the blonde had actually managed to hit him. The Sannin couldn't quiet process the feelings he was experiencing from the punch. It felt invigorating almost as if it woke him up from a long slumber. He couldn't remember the last time someone managed to hit him in a spar. "You alright, Naruto?"

 _Damn it._ Naruto says rubbing his nose."Why do you keep hitting me so hard?"

"An enemy ninja doesn't care how hard they hit you so get over it." Jiraiya noticed small streams of blood trickling down Naruto's face onto the ground. He took off his forehead protector to see a little blood on the horns. _It was probably when I headbutted him._ The Sannin gazed at the boy's somewhat happy expression. _He still doesn't even notice it._ Before he wrap a gauze around the boy's head, Jiraiya noticed that the wound was already healing. _It must be the Kyūbi doing this._

"Something wrong, Sensei?" asked Naruto, confused about the man's worried look. "Is it really bad?"

"No, it was just a scratch." Jiraiya wrapped the gauze tight around the boy's head. "Congrats, Naruto." Jiraiya said offering a hand to the boy. " Meet me back here at four o'clock in the morning. You have got a lot to learn."

"Yes! Let's head home!" Naruto stomach began growling fiercely. "Um..."

"Come on, let's get something to eat first. It's on me." Jiraiya chuckled at the blonde. _I guess you were right, Sensei._ He watched as Naruto confidently led the way to back to the village under the starry night sky. _This is the most fun I've had in a long time._

* * *

 _Hien - Flying Swallow_

 _Rasengan - Spiraling Sphere_

 _Bunshin no Jutsu - Clone Jutsu_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Chapter two is finally done! I really appreciate the patience for this one. I will continue to write but this story is dependent on your reviews, comments, questions, and feedback. Let me know what you think about the story and characters. I was a little concerned about the end of this chapter because I felt like the fight between Jiraiya and Naruto was too short. It was a little too well planned attacks for someone like Naruto. However, I imagine Naruto fighting style to be somewhat all over the place with him being somewhat self-taught, and relying on creativity and unpredictability. Anyways, shout outs to RedCide47 and xxTerror33xx for the reviews as well as the five favorites from other readers. Thanks again for reading! Stay Tuned! Happy Holidays!

 **Edit:** Fixed the Fūton: Rasengan mistake I made. I didn't even realize I had typed the wrong version of that move.


	3. Control

Hey! I just wanna say thanks for coming back to read the next chapter of this story. I will make any edits to errors whenever I happen to spot any issues. I am gonna re-edit this chapter another time this week to clean up the mistakes. But please feel free to point out anything I may have missed in a PM or review I am sure this chapter has plenty of mistakes.

 **Disclaimer:** Naruto is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I have written this story for entertainment purposes and nothing else.

* * *

 _Naruto gradually opened his eyes to find himself drifting down in the ocean. It felt as if his body had no weight, giving him the impression that he could move in any direction without fear of falling. The water against his skin which was colder than anything he could imagine caused little shivers to run down his spine. The blue-eyed blonde was perplexed by his current situation. His dreams have repeatedly placed him in unlikely scenarios with the unsettling feeling of despair constantly looming over. He thought if it was possible that his dreams were trying to forewarn him about something imminent._

 _Suddenly, his train of thought was interrupted as the idea of drowning filled the boy's mind. There were dozens of signals being sent to his brain that alerted him to swim quickly up to the surface. He struggled to get his body to respond as he attempted to propel himself upwards. As the purple and black splotches danced in front of him, the color of his cheeks grew from a rosy pink to a bright red. When his breath gave way, he noticed, to his astonishment, that he could breathe normally underwater. "What the hell is this place?"_

 _The boy stared at the weak, golden rays of sunlight struggling to pierce into the lower depths of the blue ocean. The only things illuminated were the massive_ _rocks which are now silhouettes in the dim light. The sound of the water was lazy, gentle and occasionally accompanied by the whirling of the currents. Eventually, the little columns of light above were gone, leaving him sinking in an abyss._

" _ **Uzumaki Naruto,"**_ _growled a deep voice from the darkness._

 _The blonde's body twitched at the sudden sound of his name being called. Its voice was vibrating in his ears with power and command. The sudden rumbles in the water as it spoke left the boy trembling with fear._

" _ **It appears you can finally hear my voice,"**_ _it uttered in a tone of satisfaction._ " _ **This means we will have the opportunity to meet very soon."**_

 _Naruto's body immediately stopped floating any further down. He was nervous about the current situation because it seemed, once again, he was not in control of his actions._

" _ **Abandon your fears boy and step into the darkness. In it, you will be rewarded with the greatest of gifts."**_

 _Unexpectedly, the blonde's body was heaved upwards rapidly by an immense force. As he struggled to keep his eyes closed, he could hear the gallons of water gushing past his body. The last thing he saw was a bright light enveloping him as he reached the surface..._

"Ah,"cried Naruto, flinging his eyes wide open. He found himself back at the training grounds with his sensei kneeling by his side. His breathing was heavy and sporadic with his heartbeat thumping on his chest. He felt two rough hands grabbing tightly onto his upper arms.

"It's okay," consoled Jiraiya."Whatever happened was all just a dream."

A big sigh of relief escaped the boy's lips upon hearing the man's voice. He managed to calm his breathing as he sat up on the dirt."How did I end up on the ground?"

"We were practicing your taijutsu when you suddenly passed out," answered the Sannin. "What happened in your dream?" The man saw that his question brought a sadden look on the boy's face.

"I found myself sinking in this ocean. I could breathe regularly, but I had no control of my body," Naruto illustrated. "When I got to the dark depths, I heard an unusual voice calling out my name."

"What did this voice sound like?"

"It had a deep voice, full of power whenever it spoke." The blonde shook a little just remembering what it sounded like. "I guess maybe," he paused to look around the peaceful training field, "it was just all in my imagination."

"It is still early in the morning, so maybe you didn't get enough sleep." Jiraiya helped the boy stand up off the ground. "Let's get you back."

After they finished packing, the duo began walking on the dirt path through the sunlight streams in a white, yet liquid gold form that pierces through the openings in the tree branches above to provide warmth to all things below. The trees were veiled in the lightest of mists, their trunks brown with little cracks that run along bark. Tiny chunks of wood fall to the leaf piles below, the sound dissipating into the woodland around. The birds humming, squirrels roam across the path, and tiny insects move throughout to make the forest lively.

Arriving at the village center, the two found themselves caught in the hordes of people flooding the streets. They hear could a variety of children's laughter, dishes clanging on tables , musicians playing, and adults discussing important business. The air was filled with tantalizing scents of sweet rolls and savory meats being offered at every corner. The two found themselves stopping at a nearby vendor to enjoy breakfast before parting ways.

"Don't forget to come back to the training ground after school." Jiraiya smiled as he ruffled the boy's hair.

"See ya!" Naruto dived into the crowd of people heading towards west part of town. On his way, he noticed Sasuke Uchiha walking nearby with numerous citizens in the street praising him for his prowess.

The raven-haired boy seemed indifferent to their kind words, walking with an aloof atmosphere around him. It was as if he could see that their praises were actually out of pity for his suffering. It was that suffering that he used to fuel his unyielding desire for revenge against his clan. Out of the swarm of girls surrounding him, the Uchiha's beady black eyes met Naruto's cerulean ones. Sasuke always regarded the blonde as a nuisance that was incapable of ever reaching his level. Yet, Sasuke seemed to always be mysteriously drawn in by the boy's invitation to a challenge. The feeling of weakness crept up on him whenever he began opening up to Naruto. A bond was useless to have when on the path he started down three years ago.

The two boys stood in middle of the rumbling crowd, gauging what the other's action might be. During their intense stare-down, the rowdy noise from the streets had just silenced instantly. Naruto stood with a large grin on his face, and his mind set on beating his classmate. Sasuke instinctively knew he couldn't let himself be beat by the dead last student in his class. Without a word between the two, the boys took off running through the streets headed towards the Academy.

* * *

Hiruzen sat in his chair carefully analyzing the details of several scrolls scattered among his desk. His usual stacks of village paperwork was read, signed, and organized neatly in the out pile. As his eyes shifted through each word, his facial expressions alternated between looks of anger, sadness, and relief. A wooden pipe hung from his bottom lip, a small trail of smoke escaping from the corner of his mouth danced its way to the ceiling above.

"I am amazed that this much has been happening on the outside of the village," Hiruzen claimed, leaning back in his seat. "It appears the events occurring over the past few years has attracted a lot of unwanted attention onto us. I feel our alliances with the other shinobi villages have been steadily declining with each year. "

" I believe as long as we remain vigilant of their activities then we can be prepared for whatever is coming. I have begun establishing a spy network throughout the different villages to hopefully gather more intel for us," Jiraiya said.

"As always excellent work from both of you," congratulated Sandaime as he sealed the scrolls inside one scroll to hide underneath his sleeve. "Now, how has Naruto's training been going?"

"The kid has shown some promising potential! I mean it's nothing spectacular, but it does deserve some merit."The old man noticed a shift in Jiraiya's attitude. "I want to tell you about the strange event this morning."

"Strange?"

"Yes, Naruto suddenly passed out in the middle of his training. I was calling out to him but he never woke up. I initially thought it was from exhaustion, but then I felt this foul chakra bleeding from his body," Jiraiya continued. "I had managed to contain it in a barrier so no one nearby could feel it. When he woke up, he told me about a dream where he was drowning. He mentioned that from the darkness a powerful voice called out to him."

"I guess you visited the village at the right time," Sandaime commented.

"What do you mean, Sensei?" asked Jiraiya in confusion of the old man's statement.

"This isn't the first time Naruto has mentioned a dream about a voice calling out to him. I expect that this is the work of the Kyūbi." The old man took another puff from his pipe. "Ever since Naruto was seven, he has been found wandering the village very late at night. Initially, I had considered it simply being a prank he was planning. On one night I managed to spot the boy heading towards the village walls. I caught sight for a few seconds of these menacing red eyes staring back at me."

"This isn't good to hear," Jiraiya said as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. " I am curious as to how the Kyūbi is able to break through the seal. It should restrict the beast's influence over the boy."

"The fūinjutsu Minato and Kushina performed was possibly altered after the Kyūbi was released. That unforeseen event is probably why the seal on Naruto's stomach is different than his mother's," Sandaime guessed. " We will have to find an opportunity to catch Naruto once the Kyūbi has possessed his body."

"I have an idea," Jiraiya said as he stood from his seat."Tonight, I will invite Naruto to stay with me to keep an eye on him. I will alert you as soon as something unusual happens so we can subdue him."

The old man simply nodded in agreement to his student's idea. "We must be careful not to harm the boy."

After Jiraiya left to prepare for tonight, Hiruzen sat with a pensive look on his face as he let out another trail of smoke from his pipe. The old man shifted his gaze from the desk to his breathtaking view of Konoha. Everyday he thought about the countless secrets that many citizens didn't know about. The old man knew that we was too lenient in his return to the Hokage seat, allowing for greater damage to occur to certain people than necessary. He longed for the days where he could be at home with his beautiful wife and simply act as mentor to his successor.

But, he had two people that were dependent on his leadership,awaiting the commands of an old man that needed them more than they needed him. As he looked back at the desk, the only thing he could focus on was the contents of the scroll. He sat wondering about how to respond to such a plethora of information. The scrolls seemed to only provide him with more questions than answers. However, he knew now was not the time to contemplate, so he laid out several blank scrolls to begin writing his letter in private.

* * *

The afternoon sunshine was bright, covering everything in its reach in a radiant yellow glow. Rested, Jiraiya was back at the training ground waiting patiently for his pupil to arrive. He was situated atop the middle stump of the row as he scribbled in his little notebook. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of feet pounding the dirt. The Toad Sage glanced up to see a sweaty blonde child standing before him with the widest smile on his face.

"Are you finally ready for the next part?" asked Jiraiya.

"Yes, Sensei!" Naruto screamed. "What are we gonna cover today? Are you gonna teach me some super cool fighting techniques like this morning?

"You'll have to do some more of that on your own," Jiraiya answered. "Today's lesson is over chakra control."

"Chakra control," Naruto gasped, "it sounds like one of Iruka-sensei's boring lectures."

"I assure you that chakra control is not boring at all," Jiraiya defended. "It's a very important tool that every shinobi needs know. All of the best shinobi throughout history have utilized this in order to perform effectively."

Interested, Naruto took a seat on the cool patch of grass in front of the man.

"You already understand that chakra is what we manipulate through hand seals to perform ninjutsu, genjutsu, and enhance taijutsu?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yes!" Naruto answered as he nodded eagerly.

"Whenever we use chakra we usually have to take time to build it up before performing a technique. This is where problems can begin so make sure to pay attention," Jiraiya continued. "Shinobi will sometimes find themselves exhausted even after performing the most basic techniques. This is because without proper chakra control you are using too much. So, some of the chakra is used in the technique but the rest is just wasted. "

"Then that means I should just use the minimum amount of chakra to perform jutsu," Naruto concluded.

"Not exactly," Jiraiya interjected, "because using the minimum amount chakra can be just as worst. If you're not using enough, then the technique will not be performed correctly. The user will produce an ineffective technique on top of wasting some chakra. The key is molding the perfect amount of chakra to perform an attack."

"That's it!" Naruto exclaimed, "maybe that's why my Bunshin no Jutsu never works. I just haven't been using the right amount of chakra!"

"Let's hope with this exercise you'll be able to get it right." Jiraiya took a seat in the patchy grass in front of Naruto. The man removes from his bag a wooden bowl, flask, and a nearby leaf from the ground. He fills the bowl halfway with water and sets the leaf directly in the middle. He crosses his legs into a lotus position with hands overlapped underneath the bowl. "Watch carefully, Naruto."

Naruto sat in silence as Jiraiya closed his eyes while inhaling and exhaling deeply. _What the heck is this nonsense? I thought this was gonna..._ Naruto paused as the water in the bowl begin spinning at a gentle pace. It was almost a perfect balance of motion between the leaf and water as the little ripples began moving out to the edges of the bowl.

"What do you think?" Jiraiya asked, looking at the dumbfounded expression on the boy's face.

"That was amazing!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Glad to hear that," Jiraiya laughed as he handed the bowl to the blue-eyed blonde. "It's your turn."

"You just watch because I'll have this done in one try." Naruto sat silently as he concentrated his chakra into a little ball. He imagined which direction the water should spin, so he shaped the little ball into a counterclockwise spiral. _I got it!_ Naruto opened his eyes to see that the water and leaf barely budged an inch. "I just needed some time to warm up!"

Two hours later, Naruto had remained motionless in the lotus position. The blonde was for sure that he was going about this training with the right method. _Damn it!_ He thought as he tossed the bowl behind him. _Why won't this work?_ Suddenly, the blonde heard a loud scream heading towards his position. A large figure appeared in the sky over top the boy causing him to stand up. He squinted his eyes to try to get a better picture of the airborne object. It appeared to be in the shape of a human. _Is this an enemy trying to attack me?_ The large figure was descending at an impressive speed towards the boy. Naruto luckily managed to run away far enough for figure to collide into the ground. The boy careful stepped to the crater with a kunai prepared to strike. "Come out whoever you are!"

"What a woman!" Jiraiya praised as he popped out of the hole.

"What happened to you?" Naruto asked, noticing a painfully large red mark on the Toad Sage's right cheek.

"My research came to an unexpected end," Jiraiya replied, wiping away the little blood trail from his nose. "How's the training?"

"I've made a lot of progress!" Naruto blurted.

"Really," Jiraiya questioned. "Then I guess you don't mind showing me."

Naruto got into position and attempted the process again with no success.

"Let me see something." Jiraiya placed a hand on the boy's head. "Which direction are you molding your chakra?"

"I am moving it counterclockwise," Naruto answered. "Why?"

"That's exactly what's causing the water to not spin. You and I are right rotation type, so we mold our chakra in a clockwise position," Jiraiya lectured. "A good way to mold chakra in the body is to build it in a spiral like a spring. Some people mold it clockwise while others mold it counterclockwise. It's all dependent on the person."

"But why doesn't it still spin?" Naruto asked, still in confusion about the man's lecture.

"Since you have been spinning it counterclockwise, it that means you have been canceling out your natural direction of rotation," Jiraiya stated. "A shinobi figures this out very late in life but sometimes a little push in the right direction can make a whole lot of difference."

"So if I just move the water clockwise, then it should work?"

Jiraiya nodded in agreement."Yup!"

"Let's try." Naruto began molding his chakra in a clockwise spiral. He could feel the water and leaf spinning slowly in the bowl.

 _He picked up that pretty quickly._ Jiraiya paused when he noticed the water began spinning out of control. The water began splashing over the sides onto the boy's shirt and pants. _Still has a long way to go._

"Well at least I got it moving," Naruto commented.

"Holler for me once you manage to figure out the rest." Jiraiya ran back to his peeping spot with an empty notebook in hand. The only thing heard from the man was girlish giggles as he made his way back to the waterfall.

* * *

The sun sank lower in the sky, light of day draining away, blanketing everyone in a cool evening breeze. The light had lost its brightness and the colours across the village were softened. The trees had lines that stood as black statues silhouetted against the crisp orange sky. Jiraiya was stumbling his way back to the training ground from another adventure with his admirers.

"Whew, those girls really know how to treat a guy! " The Sannin chuckled as he pulled out a jug to drink the little alcohol that was left. "I guess I really did pick a good time to come back to the village!" Jiraiya eventually arrived in the clearing to see Naruto lying down from exhaustion. "Did you figure it out?"

"Huff...huff..Yeah...I...figured it out." Naruto sat up in the lotus position, concentrating his chakra into a clockwise spiral.

Jiraiya watched as the water and leaf began spinning at a reasonable pace. The Sannin could see that the water would sometimes splash up the sides of the bowl. "It's not as good as mine, but I'll let you pass." Jiraiya commented as he rubbed his chin. "You just make sure to keep practicing this lesson. It will become very beneficial later in life. "

"Finally," Naruto said as he laid back down on the dirt.

"Let's go, Naruto." Jiraiya said, pulling the boy up from the dirt. The Sannin watched as the boy's leg shook with every little step he took. "I guess you worked yourself a little too much." Jiraiya bent down on one knee to offer the blonde a piggyback ride to village.

It was not long before the duo entered Ramen Ichiraku. Teuchi and Ayame were preparing their signature dishes for the dinner rush to come bursting through the beige curtains. A stack of clean,white porcelain bowls stood high next to the counter. On top of the double oven was two pots full of Teuchi's elegantly handmade noodles. The air was filled with this delicious aroma mixture of beef, chicken, pork, and shrimp.

"The party's over now get off." Jiraiya kneeled down to let Naruto take a seat on one of the six red stools.

"You look exhausted, Naruto-kun." Ayame said as she placed two cold cups of water onto the counter. "Have you been training him too hard, Jiraiya-sama?"

"It's okay, Ayame-chan." Naruto said, drinking the refreshing water from the glass. "If I want to be Hokage, then I gotta be able to endure everything thrown after me." The boy's stomach growled loudly throughout the restaurant causing an uproar of laughter from everyone.

"You won't be able to get to your dream on an empty stomach." Teuchi said as he placed two bowls in front of them. "Here, these are on the house."

Naruto and Jiraiya enjoyed their dinner in the company of the coming and going customers. They both sat quietly listening to the stories of the various Konoha shinobi. There was a lot of laughter erupting from inside the little restaurant. As the time approached ten O'Clock, Teuchi and Ayame begun cleaning up to prepare to close the shop down for the day. The two shinobi thanked the cooks for the numerous helpings of ramen as they stepped outside of the restaurant.

"That was so good!" Naruto exclaimed as he stretched his arms. "I guess we will meet again bright and early tomorrow? " The boy headed towards his apartment with his bag over his shoulder.

"How about you stay with me tonight?" Jiraiya asked."We have to meet early in the morning anyway, so I thought it would be easier. We might even have a little spar to start the day."

Naruto turned to the Toad Sage with eyes as wide as plates. "Really?"

Jiraiya nodded his head, "Yes."

"Well then what are we waiting for, " Naruto asked.

"I guess all that ramen really perked you back up," Jiraiya laughed.

Once inside in the hotel room, Naruto took a moment to glance around the eight tatami mat room. It was somewhat smaller than what he had expected from someone such as Jiraiya. On the left was two white,fluffy futons that had a fresh mint scent that filled the room. On the right was a low table with two chairs full of the man's personal belongings. In the back was another separate room with two chairs and a window with the Hokage Rock in view. They each had prepared for the night by showering and changing into their pajamas.

"I have been waiting for this all day," Naruto said as he plopped down onto the futon. He curled underneath the blanket with satisfying sighs escaping his lips. "Good night, Sensei."

"Good night, kid," Jiraiya smiled as he turned off the lights.

* * *

The moonlight splashed down its watery white-silver glow onto the village, draining the bright evening colors for a rich velvety black. The midnight air was cooler and damper, providing a medium for the sounds of the surrounding forest to resonate. The only people awake were the night shift guards patrolling the streets and main gate. A fragment of the milky light poured into the hotel room, spilling its glow onto the two sleeping shinobi.

The Toad Sage slept with one hand on his stomach and the other covering his eyes. His chest was in a rhythmic rise and fall as he filled the room with a thunderous snore. He would often mutter the names of different women throughout the night, growing a lecherous smile with each girl he named.

On the other hand, the boy next to him was tossing and turning in his sleep. Naruto was struggling to keep still as he battled with something inside his body that refused to stop. He stood up from his futon, approaching the window with the control of his body escaping him. The boy attempted to pull back in hopes of freeing himself, but unfortunately he didn't stand a chance. He stood atop the window sill, scanning the village to map out his path. He leaped from the window onto a wide nearby tree branch, running along the limb to swing from its hanging vine onto the dirt street.

"I guess he is finally on the move," said Jiraiya as he slid the closet door open. He placed his left hand over his extended right middle and index finger to dispelled his sleeping clone. _I am gonna need a little help._

The Sannin made his way down to the street to catch Naruto running towards a nearby alley. The man bit his thumb before performing a few hand signs." Kuchiyose no Jutsu," Jiraiya said as he placed his palm on the ground. A seal formed on the dirt with a cloud of smoke to reveal a young toad with blue markings on his eyes and head. The toad stood about as tall as half of the man's shin with kanji for 'gold' written on its back .

"Jiraiya-sama, what is it that you require from me?" asked the red toad as he adjusted the green goggles on its head.

"Kōsuke, I want you to alert Sandaime about Naruto" Jiraiya commanded.

"It shall be done!" Kōsuke said while saluting the man. The young toad leaped up to the rooftops, making its way to the Hokage Tower.

Jiraiya was carefully tailing the blonde throughout the village. He watched as Naruto roamed through the streets under a stolen black cloak to avoid detection by the late night guards. The boy's journey ended with him returning to the training ground. The blonde walked up to the rushing river, preparing to use water to get out of the village unnoticed.

"Naruto! " Jiraiya pronounced. This gained the Sannin the opportunity to meet the boy eye to eye. He saw that the blonde's eyes were red with black vertical slits in the middle. "What have you done to him?"

Naruto did not utter a single word to the man's question. The boy dropped his cloak to show sharper and longer length in his nails and teeth. His blonde hair was longer and spiker with the whisker marks on his cheeks thicker. A low growl erupted from boy as he lowered his body to the ground. He dug his heels into the dirt as he pushed forward to lunge himself at the man.

Jiraiya avoided the boy's right jab, retaliating with an open palm pushing the blonde back. "Naruto, it's me! You have to regain control!" The man's pleas fell short as the boy ran up at the man with several swipes to the abdomen. The slashes were carefully aimed towards vital muscles and organs in hopes of bringing the Sannin down quickly.

Naruto pounced back several feet from the man, growling low with every step. It appeared that he was trying to find an opening in the man's posture. He knew that the only advantage he could possibly have was to outspeed the Sannin. He leaped, once again, from the dirt over the man, smiling at the thought of possessing the upper hand in the fight. Naruto went flying with a jump kick, aimed directly at his sensei's back.

 _Not bad._ A smile crept up on Jiraiya's face as he quickly turned around to grab Naruto's leg, gaining a shocked look from his pupil. "Impressive, I'll give you that," Jiraiya said, "but you'll have to move faster than that to catch The Legendary Toad Sage from behind." He tossed Naruto aside, watching him slide and tumble across the dirt.

Naruto glanced up to see that his opponent had suddenly vanished. He stood in the silence, perking up his ears to listen for the faintest sound, and sniffing around for the scent of cheap alcohol and women's perfume. The boy spun his body and delivered a powerful wheel kick to the man appearing behind him.

 _I guess I underestimated his abilities. That kick could've broken my arm._ Jiraiya braced himself, absorbing the heel of the boy's foot with his forearm. He yanked Naruto up by the ankle to deliver a quick chop to the neck. He watched as the blonde entered a sleepy state, struggling to still put up a fight before collapsing onto the dirt.

"Good job, Jiraiya."

The Toad Sage turned around to see Sandaime walking out from the bushes with Kōsuke following behind.

"Thanks Kōsuke," Jiraiya said, hosting the blonde from the dirt into his arms.

"It was an honor!" Kōsuke said disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Hiruzen walked closer to them get a better picture of the blonde. "The Kyūbi appears to awaken its primal features into the boy. I am afraid this is not good for Naruto if someone spots him like this. Let's take him back to my study through the underground tunnels."

Naruto suddenly woke up from his slumber to realize that he had been captured. He pushed himself out of Jiraiya's arms, flying high into the air onto the dirt. A smile grew on the boy's face as a series of red chakra wisps began swirling around him.

"It looks like he is ready for a round two," Jiraiya said as he started forming hand signs.

"Wait Jiraiya!" Hiruzen exclaimed as he placed a hand over the Toad Sage's wirst.

"Huh?" Jiraiya watched as the red wisps began dispersing with Naruto falling to his knees.

They watched as the blonde's nails, teeth, hair, and whiskers returned to normal. Naruto began screaming from an excruciating burning pain in his stomach. Eventually, his screaming halted with the boy falling face first into the dirt.

"Naruto!" Jiraiya screamed as he raced towards his pupil. He checked the boy's condition to be relieved that he was still breathing.

"I think the seal was able to restrain the rest of the Kyūbi's influence," Sarutobi commented as he stared at the boy's stomach as it radiated with a red glow. "We must move to my study quickly."

Jiraiya simply nodded in agreement, scooping up the boy into his arms. As the two raced towards the entrance to the tunnels, Jiraiya looked down at the unconscious Naruto, remembering the words he said years ago. _I promise that I will protect Naruto with all of my might!_

* * *

 _Fūinjutsu - Sealing Techniques_

 _Kuchiyose no Jutsu - Summoning Technique_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Chapter three is finally done! I really appreciate your patience. I will continue to write but this story is dependent on your reviews, comments, questions, and feedback. Let me know what you think about the story and characters so far. I hope this chapter kind of answered your response xxTerror33xx about the nature of Jiraiya's visit.

Shouts out to RedCide47, xxTerror33xx, TinkaPrime, my 2 guys, and the one guest for a review.

During my time writing this chapter, I was trying to figure out what my plans were for the next few chapters. I am gonna say expect that the next three chapters are more character/world building for Naruto. The later chapters will focus more on his fellow teammates and sensei than him. I am not throwing him to the side but I wanna give everyone a chance to get the spotlight.


	4. Farewell

Surprise!

 **Disclaimer:** Naruto is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I have written this story for entertainment purposes and nothing else.

* * *

Later that night, Hiruzen and Jiraiya were navigating the dark,damp tunnels of Konoha's underground. The noxious smell of sewage bombarded their nostrils, leaving them with sensation of lightheadedness. The dim lantern that illuminated their path was a powerless against the infinite darkness spanning across the circular walls and ceiling. The rusted,thick iron pipes connected to each building were draped with cobwebs that ran along the sides. The only sound the two men could hear was the clattering of their sandals on the concrete walkway.

"I don't think I've ever been down here before," Jiraiya commented, carrying an unconscious Naruto in his arms.

"It's very rare for anyone to see these tunnels," Hiruzen mentioned. "They are only for an escape route to the outside of the village."

The Toad Sage had noticed that at every four-way something illegible was etched into one of the walls."Are these words for directions to this place?"

"No, I recently put these here just in case if I was ever followed by anyone, " Sandaime answered. "I can activate them in order to make my pursuer loop back to their original position in the tunnel. The only way they can escape it is to go south from their position to return to the surface."

"A maze that repeats itself," Jiraiya mused. "I must admit that I am quite impressed. I should use this whenever I conduct my research!"

"I have to be extremely cautious nowadays with all the eyes and ears watching me closely," Hiruzen said as he placed his hand over a peculiar section of the concrete wall. A square chunk of the wall slid down to reveal a doorway for them to enter.

Inside was a private library with books and scrolls that details on fūinjutsu, kinjutsu, and secrets about the village. The size of the room was adequate,containing enough rations and canned food in its cabinets to last up to two months. Dust floated lazily in the air making it difficult for them to breath, and every movement causing more to spill out into the room. The small crevices along the walls allowed some fresh air from the surface to flow in.

Sandaime cleared off the clutter from one of the tables, signaling Jiraiya to place the boy gently down to get a better view of the seal."So, this is the seal that you helped develop," he asked. " Correct me if I am wrong, but the basis of the seal is formed from two Shishō Fūin that create this outer wall. And the combination of these two seals creates the Hakke no Fūin Shiki that produces this spiral in the center."

"Correct," Jiraiya said. "There is a hole on the left and right side of the seal to allow the Kyūbi's and Naruto's chakra to blend over time. The expectation was to utilize the demon's chakra for the benefit of the village."

"Yes, I recall when Minato elaborated on the idea in one of the secret meetings. The council elders deemed it too risky so it was immediately denied," Hiruzen added. "That's why Naruto was suppose to have the same suppressing seal as his mother." He took a seat in the chair nearby to ignite the tobacco in his wooden pipe.

"I know someone that might be able to give us an answer to our problem." Jiraiya bit his thumb, performing a few hand signs before placing his hand down onto the table. The smoke cleared to reveal a black and orange toad with dark markings around his eyes and mouth."Gerotora, can you tell us how the Kyūbi is able to possess Naruto?"

"I was afraid that this would happen. I am surprised that you haven't summoned me beforehand,"Gerotora grunted as he folded his arms. "The demon is able to do this because the seal is growing weaker over time."

"How is this possible?!" Jiraiya asked.

"The crack designed in the seal also allows the beast to gradually escape from its imprisonment," Gerotora responded.

"So, why didn't they use the same suppressive seal that was on Kushina?" Hiruzen inquired.

"They didn't possess the strength or time to do so," Gerotora replied. " Once I arrived, Minato had summoned the Shinigami to perform the Shiki Fūjin."

"Shiki Fūjin," Jiraiya repeated. "There is a technique that allows one to use the Shinigami?"

"Yes, it was a kinjutsu that had been discovered by Kushina from the Uzushiogakure ruins," Hiruzen stated. "This technique gave someone the ability to call upon the power of the Shinigami. The user can lock their souls with their opponent's forever in the Shinigami's stomach."

"I guess this is why it's only for a last resort," Jiraiya said.

"Ahem," Gerotora coughed. "As I was saying, the Shinigami had been called forth in order to split the beast's chakra into two pieces. The Kyūbi attempted to free itself from imprisonment by trying to kill their newborn son. They made the ultimate sacrifice by using their bodies to block the demon's oncoming attack. Unable to finish the rest of the Shiki Fūjin, they somehow commanded the Shinigami to bind the rest of their chakra together with the Hakke no Fūin Shiki to seal the entirety of the Kyūbi inside Naruto."

"Is there anything we can do to stop the beast from possessing the boy," Hiruzen asked, puffing a cloud of smoke.

"The only way to do it is to manipulate the seal. I hate to say it," Gerotora groaned,"but the seal cannot be strengthened or removed by anyone else except the boy."

The two men remained silent upon hearing the terrible news. How long did they have before the beast would break free? Are either of them strong enough to seal it again? Who would be the next host? What about the villagers? What about Naruto?

"I guess that means we just have to trust in Naruto's abilities," Jiraiya stated, breaking the silence. "And have faith that with enough training he will be able to control the Kyūbi one day."

"In that case, you can count me out. I have no interest in putting my faith in a ticking time bomb, " Gerotora snorted angrily. "Naruto will never be able to control the Kyūbi's power. It is far too great for anyone especially such a young boy to handle. Let's hope that the seal can hold up until he decides to completely lock that beast away." Gerotora looked up to see the two men showing dissatisfaction to his statement."I guess you two are too stubborn to accept the truth, so I will now take my leave."

"Thanks Geortora." Jiraiya said as the orange toad left in a puff of smoke. "What do you think, Sensei?"

"I am afraid that can be done is to keep a watchful eye on Naruto's development." The old man handed a small scroll to the Sannin. "In the meantime, I want you to deliver this message."

"I will make sure that he gets this as soon as possible," Jiraiya said, sliding it in his sleeve.

Hiruzen opened the concrete door back into the tunnels. "It will be dawn soon, so let's return back to the surface."

* * *

As the early afternoon sun began to settle, the ceaseless buzzing of the classroom and unlimited amount of energy from the student had increased. They all squirmed and wiggled in their chairs as they waited impatiently for the bell to ring. Iruka Umino was nearing the end of his lesson over the Third Shinobi World War. His unyielding enthusiasm in the lesson was the only thing keeping half of the class awake. The man's excitement in the lectured stemmed from his tiny contribution to the war efforts at the time.

Kiba was near the door muttering playful words to Akamaru hidden in his hoodie. Chouji was viciously munching away at his new barbecue flame chips. Shino was in front scribbling down the class notes as well as a few sketches of different insects. Sasuke was near the window with his focus only on his thoughts. Sakura was on his left writing down every word from the lesson in her notebook. Ino was on his right slouching over the desk with her cheek propped against her hand. Shikamaru was in the back burying his head into the desk to enjoy his afternoon nap. Hinata was listening to the lecture with her attention occasionally shifting to the beautiful day outside. Naruto had his eyes glued to the wooden clock above the board with a countdown in his head.

"Our major victories in the war brought us peace once again," Iruka ended. "All it took was the combined efforts of everyone in the village!"

As soon as the bell rung, Naruto sprinted out the door in the back, gaining the attention of everyone in the class. Once outside the main entrance, the blue-eyed blonde dashed towards the training ground. _Today is the day I finally get to see it!_

"Naruto!"

The blonde turned around to see Kiba with Akamaru following behind. "What's up?"

"Did you want to hangout today," Kiba asked. "Chouji's dad was gonna take us out to dinner this evening."

"Sorry, I can't today," Naruto answered, scratching the back of his head. "I got some training to finish up."

"What kind of training?" Kiba asked, scratching his chin. "Is it major enough to miss possibly the biggest meal ever!?"

"Ummm..I..um...," Naruto stammered as he looked up in the sky for a reasonable answer. "I have to practice my Bunshin no Jutsu before the yearly exams begin."

"I guess you are right," Kiba agreed as he wrapped an arm around the blonde. "You're the one that needs to practice it the most!"

"Tell everyone that we'll hangout tomorrow," Naruto said waving goodbye. "I promise!"

Twenty minutes later, he arrived at the training ground to find Jiraiya relaxing underneath a tree with a green book in hand.

"Perfect timing," Jiraiya said, sitting up from the grass. "First, I wanna tell you that I am leaving earlier than expected..."

"What?!" Naruto interjected. "I thought we had one more day! You were gonna show me….."

The Toad Sage clamped his hand over the blonde's mouth."I haven't forgotten what I promised," he said as he released his grip. "I have to leave earlier than expected, but I have decided to stay for a few extra minutes to help finish up your training." He handed the boy three small scrolls from his pocket. "Today, I am gonna teach you some ninjutsu."

Naruto's eyes grew as wide as plates. "What kind of jutsus are you gonna teach me?"

"Watch and be amazed!" Jiraiya performed a few hand signs before holding a fist up to his mouth. His chest was puffed up twice its usual size. "Katon Dan: Homura." He exhaled a mass of fire towards the stump. The entire log went up in flames, crackling as the fire engulfed it.

"Woah!"

"Fūton: Kūdan" The Toad Sage inhaled his breath and released a series of air bullets at the burning stump. The flames on the log danced as the projectiles decreased their intensity.

"Cool!"

"Suiton: Mizurappa!" The Sannin exhaled causing water to gush out like a waterfall from his mouth. The stream of water washed away the fire leaving only a charred stump.

"Unreal!" Naruto shouted. "I can't wait to be able to do that stuff!"

"You'll learn them easily with enough practice."Jiraiya stated. "Now, I want you to do one more thing before I show you the Rasengan."

"What is it?"

"Show me your Bunshin no Jutsu."

"Umm… okay." Naruto placed the middle and index finger of his left hand over the middle and index of the right. "Bunshin no Jutsu!" As the puff of smoke dispersed, he turned to his side to look at his clone. The boy was stunned to see that it wasn't frail or scrawny at all. However, he did notice that his double had a few mistakes. It had short red hair, no whisker marks, and was little taller than himself.

"This is awesome," the two shouted in unison before the look-alike disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Good to see you've made some improvement," Jiraiya laughed as he held out his hand in front of the boy. "You ready?"

Naruto nodded his head yes. Suddenly, he felt the wind pushing him back as a small blue spiral formed in the man's hand. The formation of the jutsu was so captivating to him. His eyes remained glued to the ball of wind until the Sannin decided to end it."That was amazing to see even a second time!"

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now," Jiraiya said, packing up his belongings. The Toad Sage noticed the sadden look on the the boy's face. "You keep training until I come back, okay?" He ruffled the blonde's hair before heading off towards the main gate.

"When you come back, I will be a lot stronger!" Naruto waved goodbye.

An hour later, Jiraiya was beyond the village walls, strolling along the dirt path towards one of the towns on the outskirts. His thoughts were focused on the time he spent with Naruto. The short experience reminded him of the effort that went into teaching. He couldn't believe how much fun he had during his lessons. The extra research for his new novel was an added bonus. _That kid is really something else. I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering who is parents were._ It also reminded him of all the students that he took under his tutelage. Due to his wisdom, they each became heroes in their journeys toward achieving world peace. He only regretted not being by their side before their untimely demise. _The path to peace was never an easy one._ But now, he marched forward with the hope to break the cycles of war, conflict, and hatred that continue to exist in the world.

* * *

Late that evening, Naruto was still at the training ground practicing his new techniques. He was having little success, but these setbacks fueled his desire. He pushed himself further with each attempt, trying to improve on his mistakes. He was excited with his newfound prowess over the last two days. Jiraiya's lessons had given him some direction to find solutions to the constant mistakes he made. _Wait until Iruka-sensei sees this!_

Yet, he still felt agitated by this burning hatred eating away at his body everyday. Who was that voice from? What was in the darkness? Why did it only want him? These questions plagued his mind as his thoughts about his future grew bleak.

Unknown to him, Hinata Hyūga was hiding from the boy in a nearby set of bushes. She had left her estate to get some fresh air after her victory in the evening sparring matches. Her unknown strength was just as much of a surprise to her as it was to everyone else. Luckily, her sparring partners as of late didn't include her cousin. These small wins granted her a safe position in the eyes of her father and the elders. She knew that her future title as heiress will be constantly contested as she continues to become a shinobi. The only thing she was worried about right now was how long she could keep up her winning streak.

"You know you can just go say 'hi' to him."

 _It can't be._ Hinata jumped as she turned around to see that the voice came from her younger sister. "How did you find me?"

"One of the maids told me you ran off in this direction after I won my matches," Hanabi stated. "But, I see you got your mind on other things." She looked at the blonde before focusing back on her sister. "You do like him, right?"

"I...umm...w-we...we are...umm.. fr-friends that's all," Hinata stuttered as she tapped her fingers together. They had only known each other for two years. The short conversations that they did have usually ended with her falling unconscious. But, she recently has been able to shake off her usual behavior during their talks.

"So, you don't REALLY like him?"

"Like I said, we are...are just friends."

"Oh really?" A wicked smile grew on Hanabi's face as she thought of a wonderful surprise for her big sister. " I will be back, neechan." She pranced out of the bushes towards the middle of the field. "Hi Naruto!"

"Hey Hanabi."

 _What is she doing?!_ Hinata remained in the bushes, watching as her younger sister talk with her classmate. Her curiosity increased as the two were nodding and laughing a lot more than usual. _Please don't say anything embarrassing to him._ She listened carefully as the conversation topics switched from training to dinner. She suddenly heard her sister invite Naruto to come eat in the Hyūga estate. Without a second thought, she rushed out of the bushes. "Na-Naruto-kun is is very busy with his tr-tr-training," she stuttered as she grabbed Hanabi's wrist, pulling her back into the bushes.

"Sure," Naruto said. "I should call it a day anyway."

"Finally! We can have someone new besides the same ol' boring faces," Hanabi exclaimed as she ran around her sister back towards the blonde.

 _Naruto-kun is actually gonna have dinner with us_. Hinata was so absorbed in the thought that her blush started to show.

"Hinata," Naruto called waving his hand in front of her face. "Are you okay?"

"Y..ye..yes," Hinata answered as she hid her face from the boy. "What will otōsan say about this?"

"Don't worry about it," Hanabi assured. "He will be fine with it. I am sure he can't say no to this." She demonstrated to two by pouting her lips and showing off her large pale eyes with tears welling up.

"I gotta say that I would fall for it too," Naruto giggled. "Would you mind if I came to have dinner, Hinata? I figured I should ask you first."

Hinata was hesitant for a few minutes, pondering how her father would react to inviting an outsider for dinner. There were only a small number of people that he ever accepted in his household. But she couldn't say no to the blonde after Hanabi had offered him a meal. "Umm.. Th-that would…. b-be fine."

"Great! What are we waiting on?!" Hanabi asked while grabbing both of their arms, dragging them through the forest. "I can't wait for you to meet everyone!"

They eventually arrived at the gate of the Hyuga estate with extreme nervousness in their stomachs. Naruto was too busy gawking at the massive compound before him. As they took their first steps onto the lawn, they noticed all of the maids were lined up in a row, bowing as the doors to the tea room opened up. Hiashi, the elders, and Neji stepped out of the room onto the walkway.

Hiashi noticed his daughters standing in the lawn from the corner of his eye. Everyone behind him paused as he turned to face them. "What is this?"

"Otōsan," Hanabi greeted with a bow to her father, " We wanted to ask if it was acceptable for Naruto Uzumaki to have dinner with us."

"Is this true, Hinata?" Hiashi asked.

"Yes, Otōsan," Hinata answered, bowing to her father.

Naruto also bowed in the same manner. "Hiashi-sama, it would be an honor to have dinner with you and your clan."

Hiashi stared at the messy boy before him. He had only heard about him through word of mouth. His impression of Naruto was not pleasant especially after the firework incident. He had no interest in associating his clan someone that was beneath them. "I am pleased with the progress that the two of you have shown us today," Hiashi said, walking towards the dining room.

 _Oh no!_ Hinata thought as she glanced at the disappointed look on the blonde. _This means Naruto can't…_

"Prepare an extra spot at the table for our 'guest' tonight." Hiashi commanded.

Everyone stood in shock and awe at the Hyūga's demand. They were overjoyed at the thought of a new face, yet confused by their lord's words. Was he sick perhaps?

"Hai, Haishi-sama!" The maids shouted in unison.

Soon, everyone started to pour into the dining room, leaving the three kids to question what just happened.

"Whew," Hanabi said wiping the sweat off her forehead. "That was close. I almost thought you weren't gonna get in for a second there." The eight year old suddenly felt two hands pinching on her cheeks.

"Hanabi, th-this was...was very risky," Hinata said as she continued to squeeze her little sister's jowls.

"Ow, Neechan,"Hanabi said, rubbing her red cheeks. "I hate when you do that."

"Thanks for inviting me." Naruto said, rubbing his stomach. "I can't wait to eat."

She looked up at him to see his smiling face staring at her with a small blush on his cheeks. _I can't believe that this is actually happening right now._ Her pale face flushed red. _I can't think of anything to say to him at dinner._

"Hinata?" Naruto got curious about the condition of his friend. "You're getting all red again!"

"Let's go you two," Hanabi said as she wrapped her arms around them. "Otōsan might change his mind if we are late."

* * *

 _Kinjutsu - Forbidden Techniques_

 _Shishō Fūin - Four Symbols Seal_

 _Hakke no Fūin Shiki - Eight Trigrams Sealing Style_

 _Shiki Fūjin - Sealing Jutsu: Reaper Death Seal_

 _Katon Dan: Homura - Fire Release Bullet: "Blaze"_

 _Suiton: Mizurappa - Water Style: Raging Waves_

 _Fūton: Kūdan - Wind Style: Air Bullets_

* * *

 **Author Notes:** Chapter four is done! I really appreciate your patience. I will continue to write but this story is dependent on your reviews, comments, questions, and feedback. Let me know what you think about the story and characters so far. I am updating faster than usual because I happen to have some free time at the moment. I will try to get at least two more chapters out in next two months before I get too busy again.

Shout out to DocPacMan for the review as well as the numerous favorites and follows from other readers.

This chapter and possibly the next chapters will be a little shorter than usual. I am not trying to rush the story, but I don't wanna take forever to get to certain points.

In some eyes, Hinata might be acting out of character at the end of the chapter. My reasoning is that Hanabi brings out a little bit of confidence and bravery in Hinata. I decided to make Hanabi a little more outgoing and childish than her anime/manga counterpart. I mean they are just kids in my opinion, so they should act that way somewhat. But, I also understand why Kishimoto decided to write these two a certain way. My plan with Hinata is to break away from her character only revolving around Naruto. I want her in this story to stand eventually on her own as an individual.

I'll see you all next time!


	5. Warm Welcoming

Sup!

* * *

 _In the last moments of twilight, Naruto sat on the grainy sand watching as the swirls of pink and lavender transform the sun into a perishing ball of burnt orange. He clung onto his shorts and shirt for warmth against the ocean's cool breeze. The dark blue waves crept up towards him, grabbing onto the little creatures and colorful shells hidden in the beach. The soothing sound of the currents in the distance whispered secrets into his ears._

 ** _"Abandon your fears boy and step into the darkness."_**

 _After spending countless nights in trapped in this dream, he had finally worked up the courage to explore what was lurking below. The blonde rose from his spot in the sand, approaching the water with a surge of anxiety tingling in his spine. Is this a smart idea? He thought before stepping into the white bubbling sea foam. Scrunching his toes in the warm grains, he felt the damp sand grab onto his skin. He glanced back at the shoreline once more before diving into the cold water._

 _His body smashed against the steady waves with rhythmic kicks and strokes assisting his descent. Eventually, the light above grew weaker and weaker just before everything around him was surrounded in darkness. He kept swimming until the darkness was washed away by a diffused white light. The ocean water had suddenly disappeared, allowing him to freefall in the illuminated emptiness._

 _What a strange place. He thought as suddenly his body collided with a cold, metal surface. The blonde lifted his head up to see that he was lying in a sewer shrouded in a pale green hue with the dingy walls covered in filth. The entire hallway was eerily composed of ruins from marble, stone, and brick houses. How did I end up here? There wasn't any noticeable hole from the ceiling, or other visible entrance into this mysterious place. He cautiously wandered down the hall until he reached a wide opening with a huge gate on the other side._

 _The gargantuan, black iron gate looked like it had been forged centuries ago. Naruto could see that it was sealed tight by nine magatama on a spiral lock. The most striking features of the room were huge claw marks on the floor and walls on the outside of the gate. He approached it cautiously with his eyes focused on the thick darkness beyond the gate._

 _As the boy inched halfway across the room, he could hear the sounds of chains dragging across the shallow water. The steps of the beast caused mini tremors to flow throughout the room. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing straight up. His body urged him to run away from the imminent danger approaching._

 _Once in front of the cage, Naruto was greeted with the sight of two garnet colored eyes with black vertical slits in the middle. A long row of ferocious, canine teeth in a malicious grin appeared below the eyes. The boy's face grew sweaty as the intense heat from its breathe brushed pass his skin._

 _ **"After all these years,"** it welcomed, **"we finally meet face to face."**_

 _He frowned upon its oppressive presence pressing down on him. "T-this ...is...is…. must be…. another nightmare." Naruto stammered as he fell back onto the floor. "Who...are...you?."_

 ** _"It is I, the one you call Kyūbi no Yōko!"_**

 _At first, Naruto's mind went blank for a few moments upon hearing its name. This was the same creature that had been the subject of numerous dreams. "Why...umm... are you here," asked the frightened blonde._

 _ **"It would seem that fate has made our paths cross,"** it snarled._

 _"Huh?" Naruto said. "I don't understand what you mean."_

 ** _"I am bounded to you by that seal on your stomach."_**

 _"This weird thing? Jiji said it was just a birthmark." Naruto mentioned as he lifted up his shirt to look at the unique pattern. "But, I thought the Yondaime Hokage sealed you away in that pot?"_

 ** _"The sacred pot that the old one refers to is merely a fake. The yellow fool did not possess such a sacred item at the time. The entire festival was just a lie to prevent the villagers from discovering the truth about you."_**

 _"I think you are just trying to fool me!" Naruto shouted. "This is all happening probably from just me training so hard!"_

 _The demon's mighty laughter shook the room, causing the boy's confidence to vanish. " **You are as naive as I thought. Haven't you ever wondered about the meaning of your dreams or the markings?"**_

 _"I've sort of thought about it." Naruto whispered._

 _ **"But did you really ever figure out why there are special rules that only apply to you, "** it questioned. **"Don't you think it's weird that every time you describe these dreams to the old one that he tells you to never anyone else. Also, you can never show anyone the markings on your gut."**_

 _Naruto could only stand there with a shocked look on his face. These were only just some of the rules that he had to obey without question. The boy knew it would be impossible to disagree with the fox. "But why?"_

 _ **"Do you think you would be wanted in this village if they knew I was sealed inside of you? Do you really expect them to be as nice as they are now if they knew?"** The creature waited a moment to see if the defeated blonde had valid answer. **"These humans would ridicule and reject your very existence. You would be beaten and abused everyday within an inch of your life."**_

 _"But..but..we are two different beings," Naruto said. "The villagers wouldn't see me as the monster. It wasn't like I asked you to be sealed inside of me."_

 _ **"Don't be foolish child!"** It exclaimed, causing Naruto to flinch. **"Humans are slaves to their desires and emotions. If they knew the truth, then they would never accept you."**_

 _"But, my parents were heroes like the others that died that night," Naruto stated. "And if everything you said is true, then they made one of the biggest sacrifices by allowing the Yondaime Hokage to seal you inside their child."_

 ** _"Their choice to die by my hands wouldn't be enough to save you from the wrath of these weak, idiotic humans. In their eyes, you would be seen as the reincarnation of a powerful evil."_**

 _"I don't believe you!" Naruto shouted with tears welling up in his eyes."I know that one day they would eventually accept me regardless of knowing the truth!"_

 _ **"Believe what you want child,"** it grunted. **"One day, you will come to see what I have spoke is only the truth."** The Kyūbi moved closer to the bars, stretching its grin even further **. "Before I return to my slumber, I wanna give you a gift."**_

 _"W-what if….if… I refused…...umm…. to accept?" Naruto nervously asked as he swallowed the lump in his throat._

 _ **"I never said there was a choice."** A sea of red chakra poured out of the gate, binding the boy's body. **"Consider this as my welcoming gift."**_

 _"I don't want this!" Naruto shouted as he struggled to squirm out of its grip._

 _ **"If you die then I die. I can't hang my life in the hands of a weakling."** It chuckled as its eyes and teeth disappeared into the shadows._

 _Naruto felt everything growing dark as the blood red chakra poured into his body. His heart was pounding at his chest as the chakra began covering his face. A single tear drop ran down his cheek before fading._

 ** _"It is in your nature to crave power. I know you will eventually return for more. Until then, I will be here waiting and watching."_**

* * *

The moon above had waned to a slim crescent, a sliver of glowing white in an otherwise inky sky. A deep silence fell over the village as majority of its citizens were resting for the next day. The few that were awake had roamed throughout the streets and outer wall to ensure that everyone was safe.

Naruto sat atop the Hokage Monument, silently reflecting on all of the things he had learned. His current situation was still difficult for him to understand with his current knowledge. He wanted to believe that everything he had heard tonight was simply a figment of his imagination. All the questions he had bouncing around in his head could only be answered by only one person in this village.

"Are you planning something suspicious for tomorrow morning, Naruto?"

"Oh!" Naruto turned around to see that the source of the gruff voice. "Jiji, why are you up so late?"

"I was just about to ask you the same," Hiruzen mentioned as he took a seat next to the boy. The old man had noticed that something was up with Naruto. It was very rare for anyone to ever see the boy showing any signs of distress. "What has brought you up to the top of the monument?"

 _Should I tell him that I know some of the truth?_ Naruto gazed at the concerned man. I mean he is the one that came up with the lie about the fox. I don't wanna believe that the Kyūbi was right, but I can't debunk any of its arguments at the moment."

"You appear to be lost in a very deep thought," Hiruzen stated. "Is there something troubling you?"

"Oh yeah!" Naruto managed to snap out of his trance. "I wanted to ask you again about my parents."

Hiruzen remained quiet for a moment to think about what to say to the child. _There is something off about Naruto this time._ He had planned to tell Naruto when he believed the boy was mature enough to understand their sacrifice. The information at this time would be far too dangerous for someone as young as him to know. "What would you like to know?"

"What were my parents like?"

"I remember that your father was a prodigy in the eyes of many in this village. He was very perceptive and collected, which gained him the attention of many enemy ninja throughout his life. He was willing to risk everything to protect his village and loved ones. Whenever he fought in battle, he had a fierce ambition that drove him to never back down even when things got tough."

"What about my mom?"

"She was a great kunoichi that had an identical personality to you," Hiruzen responded, ruffling the blonde's hair."She was very rambunctious and headstrong that often ended her up in trouble. But, she was a good leader and kind-hearted with a temper that was a force to be reckoned with. She also cared very deeply for this village and its people."

"They sounded like they were great shinobi," Naruto whispered with a sniffle. "Hopefully I can be as great as they were."

"Eventually you will be just like them, Naruto!" Hiruzen decided to let the boy recollect himself before continuing. "I see their greatness has passed onto you. I am sure they couldn't be more proud of you now."

"I am gonna be just like them one day when I become Hokage," he said, turning away from the old man to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"Then, I have a few questions for the future Hokage," Hiruzen teased. "What do you see when you look out at the village?"

"That's easy!" Naruto answered. "I can see buildings and trees,"

"What are inside the buildings?" The old man asked.

"Things."

I guess I give him a little too much credit. The man thought as he took a puff from his pipe. "And?"

"Villagers."

"My next question is why do we choose to become shinobi," Hiruzen asked.

Naruto paused for a moment to think of a good answer. "It's because the shinobi protect the village from anyone that is trying to harm it." After his answer, the blonde got nervous at the way that the old man was staring at him.

"Very good Naruto! You are indeed correct," Hiruzen congratulated. "As a shinobi, you must do everything in your power to love and protect the village and its people. Do you know what is the most important part about being Hokage?"

"Oh, I think I know!" Naruto shouted excitedly. "Is it being recognized by everyone that you are the greatest with super cool and powerful jutsu?!"

I should've seen that coming. I sometimes forget who I am talking to. Hiruzen thought, hesitating to face palm at the comment."The most important thing isn't being recognized by everyone with powerful jutsu."

"Then what is it, Jiji?"

"The most important thing about being Hokage is building friendships with the people of the village as well as fight and die for those friendships. This is imbued in the Will of Fire. Everyone is a family unit and every Konoha shinobi with the Will of Fire loves, believes, cherishes, and fights to protect the village, as previous generations had done before them."

"So are there any secrets to becoming Hokage?" Naruto questioned.

Hiruzen answered by shaking his head no. "There are no shortcuts to becoming Hokage. There will be a lot of things in this world that may cause you to abandon this path."

"There's no way that's happening!" Naruto exclaimed. "I will never back down to whatever comes my way!"

"That's good to hear!" Hiruzen giggled at the boy's ambition. Suddenly, the man was engulfed in a hug by the young boy. A smile grew around his wrinkled lips as he continued. "If you truly wish to become Hokage then always remember. It is not a title given once you have surpassed all of the other ninja ranks. It is ultimately one who is acknowledged by his peers and village that make someone Hokage."

Naruto tried to digest the wisdom that was just imparted to him. It scared him that he would be responsible for so much, but reaching his goal wasn't an easy feat. He stepped out towards the edge of Shodaime Hokage's head to stare at village and all of its glory. "I'll have to make sure to try harder and harder each day until that happens!"

The two silently stared out at the village with a smile on their face about the future.

* * *

Chapter 5 is finally finished.

I am sorry about the really long wait! I had this written months ago, but I never got around to finishing it out.

Next chapter will skip about three years into the future.


	6. Sacred Scroll

A young woman sat at the desk, half an eye on her work and other on the clock, tapping her foot anxiously on the creaky floor. The little lamp illuminating the office was dim and flickered at strobe-like intervals. A slow, monotonous beeping noise erupted from her wristwatch. She slowly rose from her seat with a stack of finished reports in her arms. The filing room next door had eight towering bookshelves with folders, systematically organized by color and number on the tabs, hanging off the sides. After dealing with the documents, she turned her attention to the six-by-six cubed locker in the corner. Only a few people were allowed keys. But, there was one locker that nobody was allowed access.

She nervously dug deep into her vest pocket, pulling out a rusted, iron key. Her heart was pounding against her chest as she clutched it tightly in her trembling hand. _Row four, column five._ She thought as she carefully inserted the key into the lock. After one clockwise twist, she ran over to the left side of the locker, pushing it against the wall with all of her might. It was like trying to push a boulder. The wall eventually gave way to her efforts, revealing a hidden spiral staircase. At the bottom was a small crypt filled with scrolls ranging from a variety of sizes.

Wasting no time, she searched the eerie alcoves thoroughly. As she sifted and sorted, her eyes were constantly on the look-out for something out of the ordinary. _This is the only one that matched the description he gave._ She thought as she hoisted a thick scroll from the pile. After leaving the crypt, she made sure to place everything back in the correct order before running outside in the rain.

As she ducked through the dark alleyways, she occasionally looked back at the Hokage Rock several times. Their eyes observing her in disappointment as she continues to make the biggest mistake of her life. _Forgive me_ _, I only do this out of love._ She thought as she flung open her apartment door, stepping on the doormat as the water dripped off her soaked body. The sacred scroll wrapped indistinctly in her blue trench coat. She closed the flailing door using her soaked back, sliding down to the floor as she attempted to calm her sporadic breathing.

"I've been waiting for you, Tsubaki."

She almost shrieked at the stern, manly voice coming from across the room.

"Were you followed?"

"No, I-I... br-br-ought the... scroll you wanted," Tsubaki stammered as she crawled across the floor, leaving a narrow trail of water behind her. "N-now you you can st-stop….."

In a flash, the man kneeled in front of her with his hand covering her mouth. "I'll be taking this somewhere safe." He slid the scroll out of her arms, smiling at his new trophy. He ran his hand over her face to calm her panicked demeanor. "You did well."

"I-I..was..so..scared."

"It's all over now." He wiped away the tears streaming down her face with his thumb. "You will never have to do something like that again for me."

"You promise?" She stared deeply into his piercing green eyes.

"Yes," The man vowed before planting an intimate kiss on her lips.

Instinctively, she pressed her wet shirt against his bare, muscular chest. She could feel her mind going blank as his warm hands ran up her spine. Her hands wrapped firmly around his head, twirling the long locks of hair with her fingers.

All of a sudden, she felt her entire body becoming incredibly weak. She tried to push him away, but his bulky arms kept her body locked to his. She found herself laying motionless on the floor, struggling to scream or shout for help.

"I think it's better we finish this somewhere else." He scooped the immobile woman into his arms, heading towards the bedroom. "I am afraid that this is where it ends for us, love." Red triangular tattoos moved halfway across his face and body. "It's not you." The sweet, loving smile she saw earlier was now twisted and malicious,"it's me."

* * *

"I…..think I…... got it all down," Naruto panted as he gazed across the field at the target. Through his dusty goggles, he noticed that the charred, soggy wood chips would break off the rim and drop to the ground. Also, there were three horizontal craters about the size of his fist situated above several kunai. _I think tomorrow I'll have to try it again with more of them._ He thought, gazing down at the other five similar targets.

The blonde immediately packed up his things at the sound of his stomach growling. _Today is finally the day! I can't go like this._ He quickly raced back through the woods for a well-deserved shower and breakfast. The dawn sun peeked through a hazy screen of clouds, painting the sky an elaborate mix of red and orange. In the forest, the smoky greys covering the trees disappeared to show the lush greenery below. A cool damp morning breeze brushed pass his sweaty black shirt, providing a relaxing sensation to his sore muscles. The chirping and buzzing sounds of the forest filled his ears with a soothing melody.

After a refreshing hour in his apartment, Naruto happily strutted through the streets as he made his way towards the Konoha Shinobi Academy.

"Hey, Naruto!"

The blue-eyed blonde turned to see Ayame and Teuchi signaling him to come inside the shop. As soon as he stepped inside, the aroma from the boiling broths instantly made his stomach growl again. "It smells amazing in here!"

"Perfect timing," Techui grinned as he handed the boy a white porcelain cup. "It's a special tea that's guaranteed to give you all the energy you need!" The older man started rubbing his square chin in deep thought. "We should make that the slogan for our future tea shop." He pulled out a small pad and pencil from his apron, writing down one of many new business ideas.

"Awesome!" Naruto could smell the strong citrus aroma as he slurped his way to the bottom. The tangy taste was a little sharp at first but eventually mellowed out after a few seconds. "That was great! I definitely feel a lot more energized!"

"This is my gift." Ayame gave the boy a sweet smile as she slid his goggles over his eyes, planting a kiss on his forehead.

The feeling of her warm lips onto his cool skin made the blonde blush. The warmth of her breath made little shivers run down his spine. _Woah._

After pulling away, she wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck,"it's for good luck."

Teuchi placed both firm hands on the boy's shoulders,"go out there and make us proud!"

"Don't worry Techui-san, Ayame-chan! I'll have this test finished in no time." The blonde waved goodbye as he raced towards his next destination.

* * *

Iruka Umino diligently walked through the hallways with confidence in his stride. Today is the day that he will finally take charge of administering the genin exam. The questions were non-stop as soon as he woke up this morning. Did he practice his speech enough? Did everyone else remember what to do? Did he brush his teeth this morning? He was beginning to think that his friends were right about him obsessing over it.

In his right hand was a thick stack of freshly printed tests consisting of ten simple questions.

In his left hand was a nice hot cup of homemade tea to help him concentrate from his restlessness last night. Approaching the classroom door, he noticed the other chūnin instructors following behind him in a single file.

"You can take it easy, Mr. Perfect."

Iruka slightly turned his head to get a glimpse of the green-eyed man behind him. "I am perfectly fine, Mizuki."

"You are as stiff as a board," Mizuki joked, tugging on Iruka's sturdy shoulder. "We need to make sure we loosen you up a little tonight."

"Because that is exactly what I need," Iruka returned sarcastically, stopping in front of the classroom door. The sounds of students' screaming, chatting, and yelling rung in his ears. _They're really ready to go._ He slowly turned to face his colleagues, receiving an affirmative nod from each of them before entering.

The thirty students silently raced back to their respective seats upon the sight of the chūnin lining in front of the blackboard. An eerie silence fell over the room as the instructors met the eyes of each student.

"Congratulations," shouted the instructors as they applauded. The beginning and end of the clapping were in perfect harmony. Another eerie silence fell over the room as Iruka stepped forward to the podium.

"Today is the day that you prove to us whether you are ready to become shinobi. The five years of dedication and hard work from each of you will be put to the ultimate test," Iruka lectured. "The genin exam will be split into three parts. The first part will be a written test covering some of the material we have covered in class. The second part will be a weapons demonstration of your speed and accuracy in the fields. The last part will require you to perform several basic ninjutsu skills." Iruka watched as the students fidget in their seats. " Each section is worth thirty-three percent of your total score. You will need to pass with at least a seventy-five." The scarred chūnin tapped on the metal plate strapped to his forehead. "At the end of this exam, you will be given your very own Konoha hitai-ate, symbolizing your pride and fealty for the village."

The other instructors took the exams from the stack to pass around to the students.

"You have an hour and a half to answer the ten questions. If you are caught cheating, then you will automatically fail the entire exam." Iruka waited until the time on the clock was exactly ten-thirty,"begin!"

The students scanned through the ten questions:

 _Give a brief description of chakra?_

 _Name the five great shinobi villages and their respective Kage?_

 _What is the purpose of shinobi?_

 _Why do shinobi use hand seals?_

 _True or False: The Warring States Period took place after the villages were established_

 _True or False: Shurikenjutsu is using a shuriken or kunai as projectiles_

 _What are the eight vital points?_

 _Name and describe the three basic jutsu types?_

 _What is the technique that allows the user to replace their own body with an object the moment an attack lands?_

 _What is the Will of Fire?_

They frantically scribbled reasonable answers on their tests. The silence from earlier had disappeared under the noise of pencils tapping the desks. In the first forty-five minutes, Sakura was the first to finish with Shikamaru not too far behind. The proctors walked around to see that some students were still struggling to finish up in the last few minutes.

 _I gotta get this question finished._ Naruto was nervously still writing in the last few seconds. _Almost…_

"Time," Iruka exclaimed as the students dropped their pencils, "turn in your test now."

The examiners collected the test, placing the neat stack into a manila folder.

"Now the next part," Iruka announced."Once you step outside you will be given a weapons pouch containing twenty shuriken. The goal is to run through the obstacles and aim at the five targets placed throughout. Points will be given on both the number of shuriken you land and finish time. Whenever we call your name, please go to the fields for testing." He glanced down at the clipboard."First up is Naruto Uzumaki!"

"It's my time to shine," Naruto pronounced as he raced outside into the humid afternoon sun.

Mizuki was standing at the starting line with a box of weapon pouches beside him.

"You must score at least twelve points to pass." Mizuki took out a clipboard and stopwatch. "Are you ready?"

Naruto grabbed a pouch out of the box, feeling their weight sink into his hand. He dug his left leg into the dirt with the right leg extended out behind. The tips of his fingers pressing against the starting line. His goggles strapped tight across his face. "Ready!"

"3…

...2….

….1…

Go!"

Naruto sprinted away from starting line, leaving the green-eyed man in a cloud of dust. He zigzagged through the series of vertical logs to find the first target directly ahead of him. _Easy!_ The blue-eyed boy tossed four shuriken out of his pouch as he rounded the sharp corner.

"Three points!"

 _Damn, I got a little sloppy!_ He approached the next obstacle of rocks randomly organized onto a little pond. Naruto leaped onto the first rock with his right leg and the next with his left. His rhythm slowed down once he noticed the next target perpendicular to his path. He hurled another four shuriken, continuing to the end of the pond.

"Three points!"

He crashed back down to the dirt track in irritation. Naruto approached the upcoming climbing wall with his right index and middle finger extended vertically in front of his chest. The chakra began building up in the bottom of his feet as he got closer. His first step was nice and firm, leaving the wood underneath unfazed. Halfway up the wall was the next target hanging from a rope. After slinging another four shuriken, he accidentally slipped with his right leg. _This is bad!_ Luckily, he used the rest of his momentum in his left leg to propel himself to the top of the wall.

"Four points!"

The blonde glanced over at the nearby rope that led safely down to the bottom. Instead, he hopped down the wall, rolling on the ground to absorb the impact. He darted up the steep slope of the first log. He carefully placed one foot in front of the other as he held his arms up to balance. After a series of sharp curves, the next target popped up in front of him. Surprised, he quickly chucked another four shuriken without looking.

"Two points!"

 _I can't screw up this last one!_ He thought as he slid down the last leg of the balancing bridge. The clapping of his sandals increased as he hurled his body over the sand pit. Midway through his descent, he decided to throw his remaining shuriken at the last target above the finish line. He didn't get a good landing on the dirt, so he went rolling across the finish line.

"Four Points!"

"Yatta," Naruto shouted as he held his arms up in victory.

"Good job," Mizuki congratulated. "You got sixteen points with a time of one minute and five seconds."

"That's probably the best time you'll see today, Mizuki-sensei!"

"I guess so," Mizuki smiled at the boy's confidence. "Now return to the classroom."

The blonde strutted back into the classroom valiantly as the next name on the roster was called. Everyone was focused on the dirt stains and sweat on his jacket. After he took a seat in the back of the class, he gave everyone a thumbs up,"a piece of cake."

Three hours later, the final student returned to the classroom with Mizuki.

"This is the final step," Iruka announced, "you have to successfully demonstrate the Henge, Kawarimi, and at least three Bunshin. Also, you will be required to show at least one extra jutsu outside of those three. Head to the examination room across the all." Iruka started reading off the clipboard. "First is Shino Aburame."

The students sat patiently as they watched, one by one, enter and exit the exam room. They took the loud scream of happiness as a sign of successful exam. A few students, however, left the academy with an empty, sadden look on their face.

"Naruto Uzumaki!"

The blue-eyed boy dashed into the examination room.

"You ready," Iruka asked, receiving a nod from the blonde.

"Begin."

Naruto made a few hand signs, swapping his current position in the room with a log.

"Good."

The blue-eyed blonde made a few more hand signs, creating an almost perfect replica of his instructor.

"Good."

Finally, three perfect clones of Naruto stood proud before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Good."

As the chūnin was looking down at the clipboard, Naruto decided to prematurely perform his last jutsu,"Orioke no Jutsu."

Iruka glanced up to see a young woman with two blonde pigtails and captivating blue eyes. Her broad-shouldered torso was maintained by a very voluptuous and buxom figure. She stood completely bare to the chūnin with smoke clouds hiding her wonderful assets. All the blood in Iruka's head shot through his nose, propelling him backward from the table.

Naruto was in complete laughter as he returned back to his normal self, "you should've seen your face!"

"Naruto!" Iruka angrily ran up to the blonde. "I can't believe you would …."

"Suiton: Mizurappa." Naruto's puffy cheeks deflated as a jet of water shot out of his mouth to a nearby training dummy. "That's what I really wanted to show ya." The sudden silence between the two of them made the blonde nervous. _Uh oh, I hope I didn't just blow it!_

Iruka locked his forearm tightly around Naruto's neck. The man proceeded to grind his knuckles into the blonde's head. "Promise me that you'll never use that jutsu on me again."

"Okay," Naruto chuckled as he pushed himself away. "I promise."

The chūnin walked back to the table to take a familiar metal plate out of the box.

"Congrats, Naruto Uzumaki," Iruka smiled,tying the hitai-ate around the blonde's forehead. "You are now granted the level of genin." The man placed a firm hand on the boy's shoulder. "I have nothing else I can teach you."

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei." Naruto waved goodbye as he dashed out of the academy doors. He saw Chōji, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Shino hanging out near the academy swing.

"I can't believe you guys are still here," Naruto sputtered, rushing up to his friends to give them high fives.

"I ended up taking a nap because of how long we were waiting," Shikamaru yawned, brushing the dirt off his clothes.

"Good timing, I just finished my-warm up meal." Chōji held his bag of chips upside down.

"We were all getting nervous when everyone passed by," Kiba mentioned, wrapping an arm around the blonde, "thought maybe you failed the test."

"There's no way they would pass you but not me," Naruto shouted. "They just wanted to save the best for last."

"I think Iruka-sensei tied your headband too tight." Kiba pulled on the blonde's headband, "you think you're hot stuff now."

"Oh, I don't think so," Naruto pronounced. "I know so!"

The group of boys couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Now, let's get this party started," Chouji announced, rubbing his stomach. "I can't wait to eat."

"I spotted a new buffet not too far from here," Shino stated, adjusting his sunglasses.

"Arf," barked Akamaru, leaping down from Kiba's jacket.

"Good idea, Akamaru," Kiba proclaimed as the two of them raced ahead of the group, "last one there has gotta pay for everyone!"

"I ain't losing to you or your mutt!" Naruto quickly chased after them.

"Do they even know where they're going," Chouji asked.

"I guess they'll realize it soon enough," Shikamaru sighed. "I guess you lead the way, Shino."

The three boys casually walked in the opposite direction of the knuckleheads.

* * *

Iruka and Mizuki sat at a rickety table in the middle of a crowded shinobi bar. Drunken laughter overpowering the antique jukebox in the corner. Through the windows, the diamonds of lead panes trickles the sallow light of street-lamps. Behind the bar was a never-ending supply of amber liquid suspended in their colorful bottles. The smoke twisted in an artistic way, forming curls of gloom, illuminated by the dim bar lights.

"Megumi, can I get my friend here another round," Mizuki asked as he raised his finger to the server.

"Oh, Mizuki," Iruka slurred. "You don't have to..." The scarred-chūnin paused once his eyes caught sight of the woman. She was shorter than he was, with a short auburn-colored hair shaping her face. She wore a white crop top with matching mini skirt to reveal her slightly tanned skin. The most notable feature that he couldn't help but stare at was her toned figure. His heartbeat racing, and his face flushing even pinker.

"You like what you see," Megumi teased.

"I...I…uh...was...just..uh...I…" Iruka stammered as he scratched the back of his head. "You...are…..you…..have.."

"You're not the first man to stare," She interrupted, placing her index finger over Iruka's lips. "That scar on your nose makes you kind of cute." She slowly ran her finger over the man's nose as she swayed her hips back to the other side of the bar. "Let me know if you boys need anything else."

Mizuki was facedown on the table, gripping his sides tightly to stop shaking from laughter."Who knew that you were such a ladies man!"

"That was so bad," Iruka cringed as he held his hands over his flushed face.

A short silence fell between the men as they drank down their cups.

"Thanks, Mizuki."

"Why are you thanking me?"

"I've had a lot of great success come into my life," Iruka said staring down at the swirling amber liquid in his cup, "and I couldn't have done it without a great friend like you."

"You definitely deserve whatever good things come your , you're the hardest working person I know," Mizuki praised. "The exam was only a big success because of a great teacher like you. I can see that you'll eventually be running the entire academy as headmaster in no time." The green-eyed man stood up from his stool, placing some ryo on the table.

"You leavin?" Iruka sputtered.

"Tsubaki isn't feeling well, so I am gonna go take care of her."

Iruka watched as Mizuki disappeared into the darkness of the bar.

"Iruka!"

The scarred-chūnin turned around to see a group of shinobi huddled around a table. A very muscular, bald-headed man of an above-average height was seated in one chair. He wore a zipped up flak jacket, blue pants, and a red short-sleeved shirt.

"This guy wants to challenge you to an arm wrestling contest," encouraged one of the jōnin.

"I'll have to pass,"Iruka confessed before he felt someone hugging his left arm.

"You sure you don't wanna take him down for me," Megumi pleaded, pouting her lips like a little child.

Iruka's face grew red hot with determination as he gulped down the random shot of whiskey from another table."You're on!"

The entire bar erupted in excitement as everyone started making bets on the two men.

* * *

"That was so much food," Naruto shouted happily patting his inflated stomach. He marched into his apartment to find it exactly the same way he left it. The kitchen table littered with used glass bowls, plates, and silverware. There were dirty clothes in the corner, unrolled scrolls that went from wall to wall, and ninja tools spread all across the floor.

"I'll clean it another time," yawned the blonde as he threw off his sandals. He launched himself to the bed to surprisingly come in contact with a huge scroll. It fell off the bed and unraveled itself across the floor to the refrigerator. _Damn it!_ He thought as he rubbed his head, lifting the note from the pillow.

 _Naruto,_

 _I was recently assigned an urgent mission. There are people inside the village that want to take this scroll to our enemies. They've somehow figured out that I was the one in charge of escorting it across the borders. Take this scroll to the area on this map. I will be waiting there with my team at twenty-three hundred hours. Ensure that no one sees or follows you to this point. You are the only person I know that can do this. I will make sure to tell Sandaime-sama of your efforts when I return._

 _-Iruka_

 _Burn this note immediately  
_

"That's weird, " Naruto wondered, tossing the letter aside. "I've never gotten a note like this from Iruka-sensei." He focused his attention back on the unraveled scroll. It was hard for him to deny that the calligraphy inside was superb. He could tell that the skill in the brush strokes must have meant that someone great was the original owner. _The only person I know with calligraphy like that is Jiji._

His eyes widened as he read over the first few lines. _Woah, I never thought jutsus like these could be real!_ He quickly turned over the clock to see that it was only fifteen minutes after eight. _I am pretty sure he wouldn't mind if I read a little bit. Iruka-sensei is always telling me to read more._ The blonde took a seat at the kitchen table with a cup of hot ramen in hand. _I think I'll just look at this first part._

* * *

Iruka was lying on his bed with one hand on his stomach and the other covering his eyes. The entire room felt like it was spinning so fast. He quickly guzzled down his sixth cup of water. _I can't believe my friends had to drag me all the way to my apartment._ His breath and clothes still reeked of alcohol. _I gotta make sure to take it easy next time._ He was proud, however, about his current victory in the arm-wrestling contest. _Maybe it wouldn't hurt to let go every once in a while._

An ear-shattering knock came from his door.

"Hold on," Iruka shouted as he stumbled across the room.

As soon as he cracked the door, Mizuki rushed into the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

"Have you heard?"

"Heard what?" Iruka repeated in confusion. "And why are you…..."

"Naruto has stolen the Fūin no Sho from Sandaime-sama," Mizuki interrupted.

"I know he likes to play pranks," Iruka expressed, "but that doesn't sound like something he would do."

"Sandaime-sama just informed a few of us not too long ago," Mizuki stated. "Apparently, the spy we have been looking for is using Naruto to sneak the scroll out of the village."

Iruka swiftly leaped into his black shinobi sandals. "Do you know where he could've gone?"

"I think I know the way," Mizuki answered."It's on a hidden path leading to the outskirts."

The two men dashed out of the apartment without another word between them.

* * *

Naruto sat impatiently in the deep forest with the scroll strapped to his back. Its woody incense was from its long history of broken branches landing on the forest floor to rot forever. Foliage became thick with huge roots protruding and twisting through the dirt to catch unsuspecting travelers. Occasionally, the shuffling noises of the wildlife in search of food and shelter broke the ominous silence. The foreboding clouds moving overhead cast the lush greenery into a shadowy darkness.

 _Where is Iruka-sensei?_ Naruto thought as he laid in the sharp blades of grass.

"There you are!"

The blonde sat up to see the owner of the voice standing over him. "Hey."

 _I was afraid we were too late._ Iruka was completely relieved to see that the blonde was unharmed. He turned around to see that his teammate was gone. _I thought Mizuki was right behind me._

"I've been waiting for you," Naruto stated, handing the scroll over to the man.

"Why do you say that," inquired Iruka as he took it from the boy.

"You told me in this letter you left in my apartment," Naruto answered as he handed over the crumpled letter. "Oh, I guess I forgot to burn it."

 _Whoever wrote this letter must know me well._ The scarred-chūnin thought as he read over the note carefully. _It is completely identical to my handwriting!_

"What's wrong, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto was confused by the shocked look on the man's face. "I thought you were on a dangerous mission with your team."

Iruka knew that someone had to be watching from a distance, waiting patiently for the perfect time to strike. Why didn't he anticipate this beforehand? He scanned the area carefully for the slightest disturbance. The sound of projectiles slicing through the air increased every passing second. Quickly, the chūnin shielded the blue-eyed boy with his body, knocking them both to the ground.

"Run," Iruka squeaked, coughing up blood. "Take the... scroll and run."

"Sensei!" Naruto was shocked by the numerous kunai lodge in the man's back. _What's going on?_

The two of them could hear someone clapping south of their position.

"I gotta admit that you've got some really good reflexes even after you've had a few drinks."

"Mi-Mizuki," Iruka muttered, wincing with each movement he made. "I understand now."

The green-eyed man stepped out of the darkness, smirking at the pitiful scene before him.

 _Why is Mizuki-sensei's face so weird?_ Naruto thought as he stared at the black triangular pattern across the man's face. The blonde ran over to recover the deserted scroll.

"You were more gullible than I thought," Mizuki grunted, sending a forceful kick down at the weakened man.

"Naruto,even if I die don't…..." Iruka exclaimed before another kick dug itself into his stomach.

Naruto sat there clutching the scroll in fear, watching as Mizuki held his chokutō at the Iruka's throat.

"If you give me the scroll, then you can save Iruka." Mizuki extended his free hand out to the boy. "Come on, be a good student for once and roll over the scroll. "

Naruto stood in the field, thinking of the best way to free his sensei. Ninjutsu? It would take too long to execute. Weapons? A little faster but the blonde knew that his shurikenjutsu wasn't perfect. Every scenario that he played in his head ended with Iruka being killed. _I guess I have no choice._ He dropped the scroll to the dirt and kicked it over.

"Good, but I have one more thing to teach you," smirked Mizuki, "don't ever try to save your teammates." The green-eyed man shoved the blade through Iruka's thigh, twisting the handle before yanking it back out.

Iruka screamed in agony as the blood poured out of the gaping hole in his pants. He gripped his leg tightly, but no matter the pressure he applied the blood had still gushed between his fingers and oozed under his hand. Tears of pain were streaming down his face as he curled up in the dirt.

"They'll only be a hindrance to your mission's success." The green-eyed man tied the scroll to his back, leaping into the darkness of the forest.

"I am so sorry sensei," Naruto sobbed as he tied his orange jacket around Iruka's leg.

"W-we…...both…...didn't know." Iruka tried to lift himself up from the dirt but the pain was too intense for him to stand. "Run back... to the…... village and grab….."

"Mizuki will be too far by then!" Naruto interjected.

"He's…. too...dangerous." Iruka gripped the blonde's forearm tightly. "Now…. listen.. to what I say!"

Naruto felt his anger boiling inside as he watched Iruka struggle through the excruciating pain. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Iruka was shocked at the sight of four real blondes standing before him. "H..h..ow did you learn….. such an…... advance technique."

"You guard Iruka-sensei," Naruto ordered, "you go bring some water from a stream east of here." He handed the crumpled letter to the last one, "and you go grab help back at the village."

"Got it," responded the clones in unison.

"What are you doing?" Iruka watched as the real one raced into the darkness after the traitor. "Naruto!"

* * *

 _I can't believe how easy it was to manipulate those fools into my trap._ Mizuki thought as he raced through the damp forest floor. _All I gotta do now is take this scroll to Oro…_ Suddenly, a kunai came whizzing across his face, sinking its razor edge into a nearby tree. A small stream of blood trickled down the man's face. He turned his attention to the enraged boy standing on a branch above.

"I'll kill you," Naruto spat.

"Go ahead and try," Mizuki dared as he dropped the scroll.

Naruto came in high with a leaping punch, and Mizuki easily grabbed the boy's fist, tossing the blonde towards a tree. The blue-eyed boy propelled himself from the trunk with an overhead kick aimed at the man's head. As Naruto's leg reached the max of its swing, Mizuki followed through with a strong kick to the stomach, knocking the boy down to the ground.

"Is that all you got," Mizuki mocked as he unsheathed the chokutō from his back.

 _ **Clink**_

Naruto gripped the kunai tightly as he battled against the blade slowly descending down onto his face. The boy luckily managed to move the edge of the blade away. Frustrated, Mizuki pressed the bottom of his sandal against the boy's abdomen. The tip of the blade pierced through Naruto's black shirt, sinking slowly into his left shoulder.

The blonde swung his right leg across the frontal plane of his body to knock the chūnin away. Unfortunately, Mizuki had a stable grip on the handle, so the sword popped out of Naruto's shoulder. It felt unbelievably painful. Mizuki retaliated with a long horizontal swing, missing the blonde who corkscrewed over the blade. Naruto dropped all of his weight into his right leg as it connected to the man's skull, sending Mizuki tumbling across the earth.

"Damn brat!" Mizuki slammed his palm into the dirt. "Doton: Retsudo Tenshō!"

The earth beneath Naruto split open, sending him down the deep crater. He saw the earth spiral inwards to crush him as he descended further. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" The clones made a quick bridge by interlocking arms and hoisting themselves back up to the surface. The blondes noticed Mizuki was completely gone, but the sacred scroll was still in sight. One by one, the clones started disappearing until only one remained. The last blonde leaped towards the nearest branch but was being tugged back down by his ankle.

"You should just give up." Mizuki yanked the blonde closer, sending a vicious punch to the boy's face. The man was stunned when he saw that it was actually another clone.

"Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

All of a sudden, dozens of shuriken came twirling towards the man. Mizuki tried his best to protect himself using his forearms as a shield. A few shuriken left cuts while others submerged deep into his skin. Weakened, Mizuki dropped his arms to find Naruto's fist waiting for him. The boy's knuckles cracked against the man's nose, sending the injured chūnin tumbling away.

 _I did it!_ Naruto thought as he watched the man remain motionless on the ground. _That one should have him out long enough before the others get here._

The sky rumbled and darkened. Icy rain fell upon the land as if the ocean had been thrown from the sky. Trees bending and twisting with their groans of pain being carried away by the howling wind. A fork of lightning, brilliant and buzzing with a magnificent electricity, flashed majestically through the groaning mountain of clouds. The sound of emptiness disrupted by the loud gregarious booms of thunder.

"I've got to admit I am impressed," Mizuki congratulated, stunning the blonde as he rose from the dirt. The man's appearance had drastically changed. His eyes had yellow irises and black sclera, skin color darkened, nails sharper, and white hair longer. His hulking figure now ripping through his shirt and vest, revealing his newly unscathed body.

"BASTARD!" Naruto angrily punched the man in the chest with all the strength he could muster. It felt like he collided with a giant boulder.

"What's wrong?" Mizuki grabbed the boy's head with both hands, delivering a nasty knee straight to his face. The blonde's crushed hitai-ate flew into the air. As Naruto went soaring back, Mizuki sent a jab into the boy's gut, ending it with a nasty elbow to the spine. "You were so confident earlier."

Naruto laid in the mud, coughing up blood as he gripped his stomach in agony. The taste of tinged of copper filled his mouth. He reached out to the broken headband, only to have Mizuki's sandal press down on his hand.

"How pathetic," Mizuki insulted as he twisted the blonde's hand into the sharp metal bits,"you don't even deserve to be considered shinobi."

* * *

Iruka leaned his head back against the soaked tree trunk, concentrating on his shallow breathing. He felt like he was gonna pass out soon from exhaustion. The blood from his wound had finally died down. It had spread into Naruto's rain-damp orange jacket, the bright red quickly darkening, taking on a brownish hue. The only thing occupying his mind was the current state of his blonde student. He knew Naruto was a tough fighter, but this wasn't a classroom exercise. This was life or death.

"I'm... so…. sorry," Iruka uttered.

"It's okay. I was the one who got us into this mess,"interrupted one of the clones, "and I'll make sure we both make it out alive."

"You...shouldn't have …to fight my battle."

"Save your strength sensei," commanded the other clone, "I think help is….."

All of a sudden, the two clones sitting in front of him vanished into clouds of smoke.

"Na...Na….Naruto," Iruka exclaimed, struggling to even move his arms anymore. He knew that it could mean either Naruto was severely injured or dead. Thinking about the latter possibility made him sick to his stomach. If only he had been stronger, then maybe the two of them wouldn't be in this situation. _  
_

"Iruka!"

In the distance, the scarred-chūnin saw several jōnin and medic-nin racing towards him in rain jackets.

"Naruto already told us about everything," informed one of the jōnin. "We got teams searching the village for Tsubaki."

"Speaking of Naruto, we thought the real one was with you," asked another.

"He's... further north…," Iruka mumbled before everything around him went dark.

"Don't worry, he's still alive," one of the medic-nin shouted. "We just need to move him out of this storm immediately!"

One of the larger jōnin hoisted Iruka onto their back as some of the group raced back to Konoha.

"Quickly, we need to find Naruto before the storm gets worse!"

The rest of them kept moving through the forest, hoping they can arrive before it's too late.

* * *

"I said get up and fight!" Mizuki shouted pressing his foot down onto the boy's stomach. " I don't wanna waste my new transformation on a wimp."

"Kage Buns…."

Mizuki interrupted Naruto with a devastating kick to the face. "Come one, fight me with your fist!" The man watched as the beaten blonde crawl through the mud.

Naruto used the nearby log to hoist himself up from the wet earth. "I….. ain't…... done yet." The blonde landed a weak kick to the man's muscular neck.

"Is that all you got?" Mizuki held onto the boy's leg and dropped to the side, crushing it underneath his massive body. The green-eyed man picked up the blonde by the face and rammed him into a tree.

For several minutes, the chūnin continually beat down on the boy with heavy punches.

Naruto's stomach ached, his arms lost tension and his legs began to weaken from each blow. The boy's tongue was soaked with the taste of blood.

"You're definitely a tough one," Mizuki commented, "Why fight a battle you know you couldn't possibly win?"

"I'm not….. gonna run away and ….I never go back on my word," Naruto huffed, "that is…. my nindō. My….ninja way."

"I'll make sure they put that on your casket!" Mizuki held his charging hand flat, attempting to stab the boy in the chest. The man was caught off guard by an uppercut to the chin, sending him across the forest. _What the hell?_ He looked up to see the boy's red slitted eyes gazing down at him. Naruto's new teeth, hair, whiskers, and nails made the blonde look like a wild animal. "You just got a lucky shot," Mizuki grunted, beckoning the boy over.

A savage growl erupted from Naruto as he lowered his body to the ground. He dug his heels into the dirt as he pushed forward to lunge himself at the man. Astonished by his speed, Mizuki was unable to defend himself from another powerful punch to the chest.

"What's wrong?" Naruto mocked, beckoning the man over."You were so confident earlier"

"Damn you!" Enraged, Mizuki delivered sloppy horizontal swipes at the blonde's head.

Naruto avoided the slashes, leaping over to send several cuts along the man's back. The chūnin swatted behind but the boy backflipped safely away. The blonde pounced again at the man, overwhelming him with a series of powerful punches.

 _His attacks shouldn't even be able to hurt me._ Mizuki thought as he struggled to defend himself from the boy attacks.

Naruto sent a forceful punch to Mizuki's forearms, causing the man to leave himself open.

The boy's final punch into the man's stomach launched him through the woodland.

 _Impossible._ Mizuki thought as he slowly rose up from the soggy earth. He was jealous of Naruto's power. How was it that this boy was stronger than him? The man went racing to the blonde in a blind fury, "I refuse to lose to a child!"

"Hn!" Naruto raced towards the angry man, waiting for the precise moment to strike. The tips of his claws were secreting a mysterious purple substance.

In the blink of an eye, the two slashed pass each other.

 _A cut like that will have his guts spilling all over._ Mizuki smiled as he watched Naruto grabbing onto his midsection. The chūnin stood victorious until he felt his entire body grow weak. _What is this affecting my body?_ He dropped to his knees, watching as blood poured out of deep claw marks across his chest. _But when did he hit me?_ He felt vision growing blurry as he glanced at the smiling boy. _He was moving so fast that I didn't even see his hands move!_

" **Rasetsu!"** The boy dashed in a daring instant, flashing ahead akin to a teleport. Naruto struck each of the traitor's vital points. The blonde repeated the assault numerous times, attacking the same places with greater force on each cycle.

Eventually, Mizuki was laying in the mud with his entire body beaten to a bruised and bloody pulp. It would take weeks before his body could recover.

Naruto proudly walked halfway to the scroll before hearing a gasping noise erupt from behind him. Stunned, he marched back over to see the green-eyed man's chest rising and falling irregularly. For some reason the idea of Mizuki still in the world of the living infuriated the blonde. Where did this insatiable lust for blood come from? He raised his right claw into the air, gazing down at the man's throat. He wanted to watch and revel as the traitor drowns in his own blood.

Under the relentless rain, several streams of blood went gushing in the air before landing in the slimy mud.

* * *

 _Hitai-ate - headband_

 _Orioke no Jutsu - Sexy Jutsu_

 _Fūin no Sho - Scroll of Seals_

 _Chokutō - A straight, one-edged Japanese sword_

 _Doton: Retsudo Tenshō - Earth Style: Earthquake Slam_

 _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu - Shadow Clone Jutsu_

 _Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu - Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu_

 _Rasetsu - A taijutsu technique used by Naruto in his initial jinchūriki form. The attack is a series of progressively faster teleport punches around the opponent's body. Each strike in particular is shown to be targeting vital spots located throughout the body, solidifying that the technique utterly destroys the opponent._

* * *

 **Author Notes:** That is chapter six finally wrapped up! This chapter took a lot out of me, but I hope it was definitely exciting. I wanted the fighting scene to be good so that is why it took a long time. I deeply appreciate everyone's patience. I'll try to get another chapter out soon. I know that this chapter might have mistakes throughout, but I am ready to move on to the next.

Shout out to Satoru Ryoma for the three reviews as well as the numerous favorites and follows from other readers.

I know the questions for the genin exam were really simple. I honestly couldn't think of anything more in depth that would be good for academy students to be tested over. Maybe during the chunin exam I will come up with something a little more involved. I am glad that I was able to show off my rendition of the genin exam, since the anime/manga really didn't give us anything.

I think that the fight was a good twist on the usual canon scenario. I know I could've just had Naruto perform Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu against the fight with Mizuki but it wasn't the fight I wanted to write for this story. The reasoning behind Mizuki's plan and power will be discussed more in the next chapter.

I wanna go ahead and say that I don't plan on using the Wave Arc in this story. I have planned a story involving an entirely new cast of characters and villains. There are a few things that I need to work out before I can make it happen. I will not have OC's take over the story if anyone was panicking. The Wave Arc was an amazing portion in the anime/manga. Honestly, it was the main reason that I kept watching the show. I was kind of disappointed that it didn't bring Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura closer together.

Anyways, I decided to base Kyūbi/Naruto's taijutsu names around demons/deities in Japanese mythology and Hindu/Buddhist religion. This was just something I thought would be a good reflection of his new powers. The venom secreting from Naruto's hand isn't something that will be common for his powers. I just used it as a way to reflect the particular demon he was imitating.

Rakshasa (Rasetsu in Japanese):  


 _Rākṣasa/rasetsu are demons or unrighteous spirits that can be best described as man-eaters or cannibals in_ _ _Hindu mythology_. Their ___insatiable bloodlust is matched with_ their venomous fingernails and ability to shape shift. They are notorious for disturbing sacrifices, desecrating graves, harassing priests, possessing human beings, and so on.  
_

As always, your reviews, comments, questions, and feedback are always welcomed. Let me know what did you think about the story and characters. Thanks for reading! Stay Tuned!


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